The perfect family
by Kafka Tamura
Summary: Spoilers for DD! It was an uneventful day at the Agency until one Trucy Wright had an idea. "Hey, Daddy, we totally should adopt Polly!" Eventual Phoenix/Apollo, really slow-paced!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **_The perfect family  
><em>**Genres: **_Romance slash (though really slow-paced), family and friendship (the Agency's lawyers being all cute little friends and family), some drama and angst ahead, some fluff also, sort of slice-of-life I guess (don't expect a huge plot or trials or kidnapping anyway XD)  
><em>**Rating: **_T for now  
><em>**Characters: **_Phoenix/Apollo, a huge participation of Athena and Trucy as part of the family, any characters that have a link to the four of them might show up (meaning about anyone XD)_**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>_I don't own Ace Attorney (I don't even have the games, snif), and I'm not making any money with this fic._**  
>Warnings: <strong>_Huge spoilers for Dual Destinies and all the games before! I didn't play the Edgeworth's game yet, so please don't spoil too much.  
><em>**Time of the story: **_Begins roughly a year after DD. Apollo is 24, Phoenix 36, Trucy 17 and Athena 19 (from what I could gather – correct me if I'm wrong please)._

**Author Note:**

_Hello everyone!_

_I'm new in the fandom and it's also the first time I'm publishing in English, so I'm reaaally nervous (I'm a French speaker by the way). Since I played the game and read fanfics in English, it felt weird when I tried to write in French. The dialogues seemed so strange and my ideas didn't get through. But when I came back to English, strangely enough, everything seemed to fall in place and I wrote this whole chapter in one day. I'm not sure about my English, but oh well, do tell me if you think I suck (you can be more kind though XD)._

_So yeah, a multi-chapter fanfic in English in a new fandom... somehow I feel this can't go well. But still, I wanna try it. I'm not sure when I will be uploading the next chapter (hopefully soon, but don't expect much)._

_This ship became one of my favorites and I still wonder why. Heck, I even wonder why Apollo has grown so much on me, despite AJ being my least favorite games of them all. I think I just... find him cute? Yeah, definitely. He's really like the sun, I couldn't help but squeal each time we see him on screen (which is a lot by the way XD), especially when he's embarrassed._

_So okay, enough with my rambling! Hopefully you will like this really slow-paced romance between two obliviously dense attorney! This ship needs more fics and that's my participation!_

_Have a good read!_

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><p>It was yet another uneventful day at the Wright Anything Agency. Since no clients came barging through the front door, the small team of lawyers had nothing to do. The name Wright came to be known quite a lot lately, but even though they were now really famous, they still had a lot of days like this one. Murder wasn't a mundane occurrence and people usually didn't came for lesser cases.<p>

That being said, Apollo wasn't exactly the type to do nothing. Sitting on his favorite armchair, he was reading through a huge book about strange and obsolete laws all around the world. The legal texts were tough to read, but it never stopped Apollo before. Reading no longer in use laws could seem like a waste of time, but it was kind of funny and it made him think about their juridic system. Anyway, it was still way more useful than what was doing Phoenix right now.

Apollo wondered if it was because old habits die hard, but even if he was a lawyer again – and the boss of two other lawyers, by the way –, Phoenix still slumped on the couch watching TV whenever there was nothing to do. He was now watching with real interest a child's show about samurais (it wasn't the Steel Samurai, but one made of some other metal) while using all by himself the couch in front of the television. At least, he was now wearing his suit (though his tie was loosened) instead of the jersey and beanie Apollo always saw him wear before.

If he wasn't so used to his lack of enthusiasm, Apollo would try to make him do something useful for once – like washing the toilet –, but he didn't have it in him to spark another argument. Instead, he tried to read his unreadable old legal texts and to forget the noise the television was producing.

His relative peace, though, was once more disrupted by Athena, who decided she had enough of reading psychology all by herself in Phoenix's office and walked in the living-room with a huff. Apollo glanced at her and noticed she seemed bored out of her mind. No wonder – Apollo himself could use a new client about now.

She asked her boss to move so she could watch the TV with him. Albeit grunting in disapproval, Phoenix sat up and scrunched to the side, giving her more than enough space to sit down. With her renowned enthusiasm, Athena sat down and started to comment on the show as it was playing.

Apollo was the type to hate when people were talking while watching a movie or something. He couldn't bear to miss something because of some comments, useful or not. If he was watching the show with her – thank god he wasn't! –, he would burst with annoyance and tell her to shut up. But Phoenix, of course, was way more tolerant and he let her speak, even voicing some thoughts from time to time.

Maybe he wasn't watching, but her high-pitched voice was driving his concentration away. He considered going in the office, but he would still hear her from there, he knew it from experience. With a sigh, he decided he had enough of legal texts and actually watched the show for some time.

He was about to explode at Athena because she made one very obvious statement when the door opened, effectively cutting him off. Trucy barged in with a loud "I'm home!". Phoenix was the first to answer, though he didn't get up, and Athena followed suit. Apollo was the only one to stand up and walk to his sister.

Trucy smiled at him with her usual happiness and he answered the same, asking her how was her day at school. While getting out of her coat and her boots, she answered like usual that it had been marvelous. She then glanced all over the room and stated more than asked, "No clients yet, huh?"

Apollo answered with a sigh, "Not since last month."

She beamed at him and tried to comfort him. "At least it means there was no murder," she said with her usual optimism. Apollo was about to tell her that wasn't necessarily true, as murder could very well have happened without them being the lawyers, but stopped himself. Instead, he nodded briefly and went back to his armchair, soon followed by his sister.

Trucy, her bag in hands, made way for a small desk in one corner of the shared room. Apollo noticed she opened the bag and took out some books. As she was getting ready to begin her homework, Athena turned around and asked her, "Hey, Truce, it's the newest episode of Iron Samurai! Come on, sit with us! Even Polly is watching!"

Apollo grumbled something about not being interested – which was true! –, but Athena didn't notice and started making place between her and Phoenix so the youngest could sit. The girl, though, answered, "Sorry, Thena, but I have a big test coming up and I really have to study for this one!"

The actual nineteen years old pouted in a childish antic while Phoenix, with a chuckle, praised his daughter, "You're such a good girl, Truce!"

"Aw, thank you, Daddy!" Answered the magician with her big smile.

Apollo exhaled and picked up his book, thinking maybe he could actually get some calm since Trucy would be studying. And, true enough, Athena stopped nearly shouting her comments; instead, she would lean slightly to her boss and whisper her remarks. This happened to be a lot less annoying, though the music from the show was still distracting.

He invested himself in his book, taking notes on the side about all these curious laws. It truly was interesting, even if most people would think otherwise, and so time flied by.

About an hour later, his eyes were hurting a little and he decided to take a break. After rubbing his eyes to take away the sleepiness, he stretched a little while scanning the room. Phoenix and Athena were still watching something on the television, though it appeared to be a movie with... an orca as the main character. Apollo briefly wondered if it had any link with Ora or Orla Shipley.

Trucy, for her part, was still seated at her desk. More observation of his little sister taught him she wasn't studying anymore. After being by her side for so long, he knew they didn't share the same concentration level: while Apollo had no problem reading something awfully boring for a long time, Trucy seemed unable to sit in one place for too long. It way have to do with the fact that she was still a teenager – though she was seventeen now –, but maybe it was just a part of her.

Instead of looking at her studies, she was leaning back on her chair, seemingly in deep thoughts. She was chewing her pen, the habit she had when she was spacing out. It was obvious she wasn't even trying to understand what was on her desk. Apollo thought maybe he ought to tell her to go back to work, but he knew from experience that wouldn't help at all.

Apollo himself, while looking at her, began to space out a little, noting everything his sister was doing. Since he learned his ability to see nervous habits on people, he began to observe them more and more, to the point where he was doing it without knowing it. Unconsciously, he watched the whole pattern he knew so well of Trucy not wanting to do her homework.

First of all, she would space out and start chewing on her pen, then glance at her work with a sigh, her face filled with something between despair and boredom. Then she would look around and try to find something else to do, while knowing full well nothing was more important than her homework. Upon coming to this conclusion, she would lean back in defeat and glare at her book like it was the source of all bad things in the world.

At this point, she would most of the time groan in defeat and start to write about anything to try and get it done with, but this time, instead, she went back to step one and wallowed in thoughts. Apollo thought it weird, but he guessed she had something important in the back of her mind. Maybe he could try to ask her about it later, fulfilling his duty as her big brother. For now, it was best to let her think it out.

With a quiet sigh, Apollo left Trucy's observation and glanced towards his boss and coworker. They were watching their movie while debating over some issue about the plot, but Apollo wasn't interested. Movies were great, but he preferred to watch them alone, so he could actually understand everything. This movie seemed childish anyway, not his type.

He was wondering if he should still read his book or find something else to do when Trucy got up with a loud thump and nearly screamed, voice filled with annoyance, "Arg, I have enough!"

Her father turned around and asked, "What's wrong, Truce?" The girl sighed and reached the couch Athena and Phoenix were sharing. While making her dad move not so gently, she sat down with a pout. Athena, being the psychologist she was, understood the overly simple truth.

"You're getting nowhere in your studies," she deduced.

Trucy grabbed her own legs and brought her knees to her chin before answering, "It's so much to remember! I understand most of it, but it's so annoying having to memorize so much events and dates and urg!"

Phoenix laughed while Apollo, as her big brother, scolded her, "But it's important to know these things, Trucy."

"Like this will ever be useful to a magician," answered the teenager.

"True enough," said her adoptive father, "but if you want to go to college, you'll need good grades."

She rolled her eyes – she was getting annoyed by their whole act of being a good father and big brother – as she answered noncommittally, "Yeah, yeah."

Silence fell on them as Phoenix didn't push the issue. Apollo thought maybe he should, but then again, Phoenix could never win against his daughter. Trucy was brilliant, though, so he wasn't really worried about her. She would sort it out on her own. Sometimes, she was even more mature than Apollo, even if she was the youngest.

The trio resumed watching TV. Athena and Trucy's discussion – the girl was actually even more talkative than the female lawyer when watching a movie, much to his dismay – didn't really annoy him anymore, because he had decided to scribble in his diary. He always had it with him and would often take it out to write when he had nothing else to do, pretty much like right now. He liked to use it to simplify his thoughts or challenge himself with a tricky question, though right now he was doing neither.

He was part doodling part writing anything that came to mind when, suddenly, he heard his name. This brought him to look up and listen to the conversation, so he didn't miss his sister's suggestion. "Hey, Daddy," she said, "we totally should adopt Polly!"

Her father appeared to be as surprised as Apollo was. He uttered, shock visible on his figure, "What brought this up, Truce?"

However, Athena immediately joined the girl, making Phoenix's question go unanswered, "It's such a good idea Truce! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"But why?" Apollo couldn't help but ask, baffled.

Trucy made _that_ face, like she couldn't believe her brother was _this _stupid, and Apollo couldn't help but wince. She explained, as if she was talking to a little kid – a dumb kid even, "Because I'm your sister, and Daddy is my Daddy, so he should be yours too! You don't have a father anyway!"

"That was rude, Truce," Phoenix scolded her, albeit without much strength.

The girl ignored his remark altogether and continued with a big grin, "It would be so awesome if you were my big brother!"

"I'm already your big brother," stated flatly Apollo.

"Of course," answered the girl, annoyance clearly visible, "but you know what I mean!"

"Actually," argued the young attorney, "not really."

She was getting frustrated, so Athena intervened and tried to explain what Trucy really meant, "Polly, I think Truce just want this to be more, you know, official. Since she never had a brother before. It's kind of difficult and annoying to explain to every one you are siblings but not in the same family, don't you think?"

"Exactly!" Provided the girl. "Today at school my friends asked me if I had siblings and it was so troublesome having to explain this when everyone just answered simply yes or no."

"Well," tried his brother, "you didn't have to explain everything, did you?"

"Really, Polly, you're telling me to lie? That's something coming from an attorney!"

By this time, it was more of a sibling's quarrel than a real argument and Apollo somehow forgot about what they should be discussing right now. Phoenix was the one to make everyone go back to the topic. "There would be a problem, Truce," he told her in a calm voice. "Just think about it: if we were to adopt him, Polly would have to change his last name. Then we would have two attorneys named Wright and that would be strange."

Trucy was surely too passionate about the conversation to notice it, but Apollo sensed his bracelet tightening ever so slightly around his wrist. Phoenix scratched the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, which should indicate he was lying. It wasn't the first time Phoenix tried to lie to him – even knowing full well his ability –, but right now it just seemed too strange. There was nothing to lie about in this simple statement, and Phoenix wasn't actually lying either: everything he said was true.

But he didn't have much time to think about it, because the magician turned her annoyance to her dad and tried to make her point, "It's details, Daddy! Anyway, there are other cases! Just think about the Gavin!"

"One is a prosecutor and the other was an attorney," the older counterattacked, not lying anymore or feeling nervous about something.

The girl didn't know what to say, so Athena backed her up, "Okay, what about the Von Karma then?"

Phoenix smiled fondly at their attempt while pursuing, "By the time the daughter became a prosecutor, her father wasn't one anymore. Anyway, they weren't of the same sex, so there would be no confusion even if they were working together."

He stopped there, waiting for any sort of objection from the two girls, but they were silent, knowing they couldn't win against a full-fledged attorney – not at this game anyway. To bring everything to a conclusion, the older looked over at Apollo and, while staring right in his eyes, he asked, "Apollo, what's your thoughts about this? I think you should be the one making a decision, since it's your name we're talking about."

At this, the two girls turned towards him and Apollo suddenly felt on the spot. Blushing at getting so much attention at once, he looked at the floor and tried to think of something. He was so caught up in trying to follow what was going on until now that he didn't have time to think this through. Most of all, he felt really confused.

They were waiting for an answer right now and he couldn't provide it. He never thought about anything remotely related to this. He wasn't even sure he was accustomed to Trucy being his sister, let alone having a living mother, so having Phoenix of all people become his father was... way too much.

Unable to cope with the attention, he just busted out, Chords of steel level, "I'm not sure! Actually, I'm really confused! Ah, but I'm fine! Really!"

As usual, he just blurted what came to mind and almost immediately regretted it. When he mustered the courage to look up, he saw one very dejected Trucy, one understanding Athena and one really closed up Phoenix. The last one was a real wonder, but before he had any time to ask him what was wrong, his features regained his more usual calmness and he assured him, "It's okay, Polly, I don't want you to do anything you're not sure about."

Somehow, he seemed relieved. Apollo wasn't the only one freaked out after all; it was comforting in a sense. Trucy made a pout and Athena took on her to explain, all psychologist like, that Apollo had the right to think this through so he wouldn't feel scared. The girl eventually accepted that Apollo wasn't just being a party pooper and they resumed their movie, though they had to go backward a lot because of their discussion.

Apollo, of course, wasn't really watching; the movie was more of a background to his thoughts about this whole matter. Using his diary, he tried to make some sense of what he was thinking.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Phoenix would be his father. Sure, he was his mentor, but he never was like a father figure to him. First of all, he wasn't so old, only twelve years older than him, and he never acted like a father with him. With Trucy, perhaps, although not all the time.

It would also make Apollo stand under him way to much for his own good. He never pretended he was the absolute equal of his boss, since Phoenix was a living legend, but he was still an attorney of his own. For a couple of months, he was the only attorney of the Agency! To suddenly become his son... it would feel like a demotion.

The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong. Yet, Trucy always found a way to make her wishes come true. Apollo couldn't help but hope this one time would be the exception.

For some time, the issue never came up and he left it in the back of his mind. The day after, the agency obtained two cases at the same time. If it had happened any other day, Phoenix would have worked with Athena while Apollo worked with Trucy – it was proven more than once this last team was effective even though the girl wasn't an attorney –, but it was a bad time for Trucy. She had some big magic shows coming up and her exams were right around the corner, so she couldn't afford to make time for a case.

Instead, Phoenix decided to work alone, since he was the more experienced, while Athena and Apollo worked together. Phoenix's was about a theft – one of the rare cases which didn't involve a corpse, hence why he took it –, but Athena and Apollo's was, of course, a murder.

The theft's case went on for a day only, but the murder one was extended because of the need to investigate more. It turned up in the testimony that one of the witness was a potential culprit, therefore the police needed more time to examine the crime scene. It was a relief for Athena and Apollo since, with the way things were going, their client was about to get a guilty verdict.

The rest of the day was spent investigating, thinking about new information and pretty much getting ready for the next day. Phoenix decided to help a little, since he had nothing else to do, so with the three of them they came up with a plan.

A plan that was, of course, crushed by the prosecutor, Simon Blackquill. Though it was difficult, and Apollo thought they were about to lose at least five times, they managed to prove the actual culprit was the only one who could have done it. In the end of the day, they had the Not Guilty verdict they merited.

Of course, they headed to Eldoon's noodle to celebrate. Everyone came, including Simon, even though he had lost – Athena was the one to bring him. Apollo came to realize once more that he wasn't such a jerk outside a courtroom. He actually was way more polite and less menacing. Some times, he even appeared to be timid. He was still getting accustomed to the life outside the prison, even if it was roughly a year since he was proved innocent.

The dinner went well and Apollo talked a lot with Simon. It happened that he was seated besides him, while Athena took the other side of the prosecutor. She always sat down with him, since she knew he was more comfortable with her than anyone else. Phoenix was sitting right besides Apollo, but for one reason or another, they didn't really talk. The older was making jokes with , Trucy and Ema, not quite ignoring Apollo, but never talking to him either.

On the way back to his apartment, he thought a lot about everything he learned about Simon: his love for everything related to Samurais, even the shows the Wright and Athena kept talking about, but also his uneasiness with all the technology he couldn't access from his cell and his hardships concerning every simple facts of life. Overall, it seemed like getting out of prison wasn't as simple as Apollo had first thought.

This was truly interesting, especially since the closed-up Simon talked so much about private matters. He had a hard time telling all of this, but Athena had probed him to do so, since it would help his rehabilitation. Even then, Apollo knew he wasn't telling everything. He avoided talking about the fake detective Fulbright altogether, never once mentioning his name. Surely his treason was taking such a huge toll on him that he couldn't manage to talk about him even after so much time, which Apollo understood really well.

All these thoughts came to a stop when he reached his home. He made his way up the stairs to his door and unlocked it. When entering his own apartment, he never exclaimed he was home like he did at the Agency, knowing full well nobody was waiting for him.

It was a small one-room with a cramped kitchen, the rest being the bedroom as well as the dining room and the living-room. His couch was also his bed, and the small table was the one he was always eating on. He had a television, but almost never watched it. He didn't have any other furniture except for the refrigerator and the oven. Some law books were scattered around, but otherwise the room felt empty, in spite of being so small.

He rented it back when he was still a student and needed a cheap rent, but even if he could afford better now, he still kept it. Not because he was fond of it, but more because he had no reason to move out. He never was home, anyway, and he always figured he would move when he would have a motive, for example if he ever gets a girlfriend.

After brushing his teeth and getting out of his clothes, he closed the light and went to bed. Apollo always feared this one moment. All day long, he could avoid bad thoughts by doing one thing or another, but at night he was left by himself. Most of the times, he thought about Clay and the idea of never seeing his big grin still hurt so much he thought it never would get easier. Otherwise, he could think about his not-so-happy days at the adoption center – though it wasn't that bad, it wasn't all good memories for him – or the overall ordeal with the phantom and his lack of trust in Athena.

Sometimes, even, he thought back to Kristoph Gavin. Never for long, though. He didn't want to linger on it too much, because he knew he wouldn't be able to trust anyone if he did. He never really knew Kristoph all that much anyway, not like Athena.

This peculiar evening, he thought for the first time since the day it was brought up about the adoption Trucy had suggested. He knew why it made so much sense to Trucy: Apollo being her big brother was supposed to mean they share the same father. Their real fathers were different, though, and while Trucy knew hers, Apollo never came to know his. Anyway, the point was that for Trucy, since Phoenix was her Daddy, it only made sense for him to be his.

Apollo could see the logic in that. It was true that the Agency was what felt closest to a family to him. Even before he knew Trucy was his sister, he had considered her as such, and Athena was like another sister, although they had some clashes with the Phantom case. After that, though, Apollo knew he could trust her and so their bond became unbreakable, the kind that last a lifetime.

Phoenix, however... Apollo never was sure how to think of him. Before knowing him, he had idolized him. Back at the orphanage, when he dreamed about being an attorney, Phoenix was his hero. He wanted so much to become like him: he was following his cases and overall fanboying over him.

He had heard about the case that caused his downfall, but he never thought Phoenix would end up like this, playing poker in a basement – even though his job wasn't exactly illegal, it sure felt like it. When he reunited with his teenager years' star, it was such a disappointment that he wounded up punching the guy.

Over the year he worked for the Wright Anything Agency, his disillusion dulled into acceptance, until the Wright of the old days began to resurface – pretty much like his name, he came back from his ashes. Apollo witnessed the whole process and, while not being sure about all of this, he couldn't help but become more and more fond of the guy. Even if he was still annoying at times, he was truly a great man, one Apollo couldn't help but respect and trust, even if their beginnings were rocky to say the least.

When Phoenix got back his badge and wore again his suit, Apollo regained all the respect he felt when he was younger, without the whole hero-worshipping. Now, he considered him as one of the three people he liked more in the whole world, not counting Clay since he was deceased. However, he never got around to demonstrate it so much, because they were two guys and it was way more awkward than with Trucy or Athena.

Anyway, the point was that, while it was pretty clear to him that the two girls where like sisters to him, his relationship with Phoenix was more obscure. He was kind of his mentor, of course, but not that much either: in the beginning, he never taught him anything, and while he learned some things from him, Apollo considered he learned his job more by himself than anything.

He wasn't like a brother, either, mostly because he was too older and they didn't share the closeness he had once with Clay. His childhood friend had felt like a brother because they grew up together and shared everything. His relationship with Phoenix felt nothing of the sorts.

However, this didn't wound up as Phoenix being more of a father to him, because that wasn't true at all. If anything, Phoenix didn't have the vibe of a father. And, well... he never scolded him, patronized him or tried to organize his life, like he did with Trucy. Sure, Apollo never had a father or even a father figure, but he was pretty sure it wouldn't feel like... like _that_.

On the other hand, he knew he wasn't just his boss. Their relationship ran deeper than that. They got along really great now and were talking of things other than work and, most of all, they had perfect trust in one another. Phoenix truly felt like family to him – the whole Agency felt more of a home than his own apartment –, but it was unnerving not being able to attribute a word to their relationship.

Eventually, he fell asleep without being able to come up with a clear answer.

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><p><em>Before you start to wonder, of course I'm gonna talk about the moment Trucy and Apollo came to know the truth about being siblings and their meeting with Thalassa, but it shall come at a later time. For now it seemed more important to lay all the foundations before trying to build anything on it.<em>

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that! In the next chapter you're gonna have some insights on Phoenix, but of course I'm not gonna tell everything because this is supposed to be slow-paced, remember? Don't expect romance in a long time, I said!_

_Feel free to leave a review if you want, but don't feel bad if you don't do it. A follow or a favorite is still great encouragement!_

_PS: Simon just had to make an appearance because I love him so much! I will write more about him in another story, but I don't think he will really have a major role here, unless I focus on Athena somewhere along the line (don't expect any CykesQuill though, I'm a huge sucker for FullQuill and PhantomQuill). Anyway, we'll see, the story isn't all thought out yet._


	2. Chapter 2

_I have this headcanon where everyone in the Agency get used to Trucy's nickname for Apollo (Polly) and eventually use it without thinking. By now when they refer to him they always use his nickname, unless there's a need for his real name. At first, Apollo got annoyed and tried to change their habits, but over time he got used to it. At this point in the story he even loves it, because the ones he really care about call him that way – he's not about to say it out loud, though. I thought I should make this clear, if you were wondering._

_I pretty much decided I'm gonna update once a week, every Thursday (this is a purely random choice). For now, anyway. If there's a change, I'm gonna tell you._

_Yeah by the way I forgot to tell you at the beginning, but if you're a French speaker and you're not all comfortable with writing in English (which I can relate to very much), you can leave reviews in French, I don't mind at all. Just maybe avoid other languages... if you want me to understand, of course, but I do hope that's the point. _

_Also, I have a freshly new AO3 account! I know some people prefer that website (though I'm still more used to FFnet), so feel free to go over there if it's your case! I have the same penname, though there's no space in-between (KafkaTamura). I'm gonna publish all my stories on the two websites anyway!_

_Okay, onto the chapter now!_

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><p>Phoenix always had a light slumber. Even when he was a kid, he would have a hard time falling asleep and would wake up to every little noises he could hear. He could stay several hours wide awake, unable to sleep but not wanting to get up either. Then he would turn around in his bed and try to focus on his breathing, even if it proved more than once utterly useless.<p>

The years had brought too many things to think about, too many memories to remember, too many fears to resurface. Now, when Phoenix couldn't sleep, he had so many potential depressing thoughts he could end up staying awake all night, trying but failing to think about something more joyful or at least less taxing.

The only way for him to get a good sleep was when he was sleeping with someone else. It could help if they had sex before, but it wasn't necessary, since what helped calm himself was the breathing, heartbeat and overall warmth of another person in his bed. This could only lead to the dark conclusion that he was insomniac because he was lonely, a problem he couldn't solve overnight since he had it for most of his life.

This peculiar night, he was able to have a good night's sleep – for his standards anyway –, but woke up so early the sun wasn't even up. Phoenix decided to get up anyway, knowing sleep wasn't an option anymore. After putting on some sweat pants and a t-shirt, he made his way to the small kitchen near his room. Since his eyes were accustomed to the dark, he didn't open the light.

He settled to make coffee and tried to find something edible for breakfast, before realizing he wasn't really hungry. Instead, his mug in hand, he went over to the living-room of the apartment/agency and slouched on the couch.

Since he didn't have that much money to begin with, Phoenix had decided to make the office of his late mentor his home. It was big enough for two and had everything Trucy and him needed, not to mention he could very easily sleep over at work – because, well, he _was_ alwaysat work. Though he didn't appear as much as a workaholic as some would want him to – namely Apollo –, he actually was quite fixated on his job. He only made a point of not showing it as much as he did back in his younger days.

The problem always was the lack of clients. They had some at the beginning of the week, but they had finished their cases the day before and were therefore free. How could he work without clients? He could go at the detention centre and shop around for some apparently wrongly-accused, but it was risky. Even if he had the Magatama, he still wasn't so sure about getting any client he saw – he was wrong once in the past, after all.

He could walk outside and hope to stumble upon a crime scene – which happened in the past more than once –, but it was a lot of work for what it was worth. In the end, he could very well end up with no client whatsoever and a whole day lost on walking.

It wasn't a problem right now, though, as there was paperwork to do, due to the trials of the last days. He got out of his couch and went over his own private office, though it hardly was private nowadays. Athena liked to use it so much she had left many of her psychology books and parts of her Widget, not to mention the law books Apollo thought he should own by now. The books of his late mentor were still there, packed in the bookcases along some of Maya's scrolls and whatnot. Overall the room looked packed. At least, Trucy's magic tricks were out there in the living-room, leaving enough space for Phoenix to actually work at his desk.

Without further ado, the lawyer sat down and sorted out the files. In case his red-loving protege wanted to work so bad on his own case he would make a scene – the thought made him chuckle –, Phoenix decided to begin with his own, the theft case.

Absorbed in his work, he never realized the sun got up until his daughter did. Trucy appeared at his door, all sleepy and mumbling what seemed to be a greeting. Phoenix got up, stretched a little and went to his daughter to give her a little kiss on the top of her head. His hand made its way on her shoulder as he asked her if she slept well.

She nodded and wondered, still not quite awake, what he was doing here all alone. He laughed at that and mentioned he couldn't sleep. The magician looked at him with sad eyes, but she didn't press the matter. Of course she knew about his insomnia: there's not much you can hide to someone living with you. She knew, but never asked why – Phoenix was pretty sure, though, that she understood at least some of it. Her daughter was quite observant, after all.

To lighten the mood, the dad proposed they ate breakfast, only to realize he was now hungry. Trucy nodded once more and turned around. Phoenix followed her to the kitchen, where she put some bread in the toaster.

They stayed in silence, both spacing out. Trucy, even though she could be such a pest all day long, was a little grumpy in the mornings. Phoenix learned he really shouldn't try to speak with her before she was wide awake, unless he wanted her to get sullen.

The breakfast went as quietly as usual and the girl got prepared for school. Phoenix went to his room to change into his suit and came back to his office. Not long after, one fully dressed and now overly joyful Trucy stepped in to wish him a great day. He got up just in time for her to throw a hug at him and he returned it with a genuine smile.

Trucy was his own little sun. Without her in his life, he's not sure how he could have gotten through all his hardships to become a lawyer once more. He felt eternally indebted to her and intended to make amend for all his past mistakes.

Before getting overly sentimental, Phoenix released her and wished her a great day with the best grin he could muster. Trucy beamed and kissed his cheek before getting out. Phoenix stayed in his office and sat down once more, exhaling a content sigh before frowning sightly at his paperwork. He had underestimated the time it would take him to end his own case, so doing Apollo's too seemed like a lost cause now.

Still, he went back to work until he heard the door open once more. He didn't even have to get up to know who it was, since the Chords of steel user shouted "I'm home!".

Phoenix couldn't remember the first time his subordinate used that greeting instead of a more neutral "Good morning", but he was so accustomed to it he didn't find it strange anymore. Phoenix was glad he could provide such a homey feeling to someone who grew up in an orphanage.

Also, he couldn't help but think it showed his high spirits about his job, which was kind of cute.

As usual, Phoenix shouted a "Welcome back" without getting up. The younger would come to see him anyway, so there was no need to go greet him. True enough, after getting rid of his coat, the younger showed up at his door, a huge smile on his face.

"Good morning, Boss!" His grin was so endearing Phoenix couldn't help but smile back – this was one of the traits the younger shared with Trucy. So, with a fond voice, he answered, "Morning, Polly!"

The demon look-alike came closer to his desk and peeked at his files, surprised to see Phoenix working – he definitely wasn't used to it. He stated more than asked, "So you're doing the paperwork, huh? Didn't see that coming."

"I left you the more juicy parts. Care to join?" The older retaliated with a teasing grin.

The younger groaned in disapproval and Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle. He enjoyed so much teasing Apollo, though it was all in good games. "I should have seen _this_ coming" grumbled the younger.

Phoenix didn't comment anymore and picked up the files about the other case. He handed it to Apollo who took it without complains – making clear he was quite happy to help – and made his way to the small couch in the same room.

They worked in relative silence for about half an hour before their coworker arrived. Athena wasn't late per see; it was more like Apollo was always too early. He was overly eager to work even when they didn't have a case.

The only lady lawyer of the Agency stepped inside with a loud "Good morning", to which Phoenix answered without getting up. He was almost done by now and he wanted to finish quickly before he could go watch some movies with Athena. He heard Apollo getting up and guessed he wanted to go greet the woman clad in yellow. He would always get up whenever someone was crossing the front door, like it was an obligation.

The duo came back into the office and Phoenix smiled at his youngest subordinate. Despite being the last addition to the Agency, she now had a huge place in their life. She was a genius at making everyone feel good and pumped, not to mention she was a great confident. She also wore her heart on her sleeves and was always honest.

The girl asked if they had a new client, putting both men in a less enthusiastic mood. Of course, it was still too early to say nobody would come, but the prospect wasn't that high either. They had two cases in one day, after all; in all probability, this also meant they surely wouldn't get a case before a long time.

Upon realizing the truth, Athena asked if she could be of any help at all. Phoenix, with a smile, assured her she should just watch TV since he was almost finished and would join her shortly. Apollo for his part told both of them he could manage all the paperwork Phoenix had given him, no problem at all. While he was trying to sound cool, he only appeared desperate to keep his job for himself.

Athena chuckled and Widget betrayed her thoughts with a teasing "You're such a workaholic". Apollo looked embarrassed while Phoenix only laughed, thinking very much like Athena. The girl turned around and announced she would be in the living-room for the time being.

Less than ten minutes later, Phoenix got up and glanced at the clock. It was a little passed nine o-clock, which was way too early for a day without any work. Wondering what they could be doing all day in the office apart from watching movies – they couldn't go outside in case a client did come –, he walked around his desk and stopped near Apollo.

The younger attorney was so involved in his work he didn't notice Phoenix observing him. His expression was so serious on his juvenile face the older couldn't help but feel touched by it. Apollo reminded him of his younger self still full of dreams – not that Phoenix himself didn't have dreams anymore, but he had settled down somehow. His naivete and straightforwardness made him a good lawyer and a great friend.

This train of thoughts made him wander back to the suggestion Trucy made in the beginning of the week, about them adopting Apollo. Later that day, he had wondered why he never thought of it himself. After all, it was the logical thing to do, right? He was the one who revealed to truth to him, he should take responsibility. Apollo didn't have a family to begin with – he even chose his last name himself, he had mentioned it once. It only made sense he would provide him one.

However, the strangest part wasn't the fact that he never thought about it. What troubled him even more was his first reaction. He couldn't understand why for the life of him he instinctively had the urge to object. Was it because of the surprise? Somehow, he doubted it.

He had even brought up an issue he couldn't care less about: them having the same last name wasn't as much of a problem as he made it sound. Sure enough, it would get some time to get used to it, but people would adapt. As Trucy had put it, it was a detail. Even he wondered how he managed to make his point valid – the examples were in his favour, but still. He wasn't called a master of bluffing for nothing, it seemed.

Then, to make sure nothing would be decided right away, he had consciously put Apollo on the spot. It was quite clear the young attorney was confused about what was going on, and therefore Phoenix hoped he would try to delay everything so he himself could have more time.

Looking at him now, he realized he couldn't dream of a better son. He had always wanted a boy of his own, but never got around to have one, and the opportunity was now lying there, waiting for him to pick it up. He shouldn't have anything against it, right? So what was his reaction all about? Only wanting some time to make sure it was the good choice? But then again, it _was _a good choice, no doubt about that.

Hoping to clear his thoughts, he shook his head and resumed his way to the living-room while still unnoticed by his older protege. Athena looked up to him from the couch right away, what with her super hearing, and she asked him if he was finished. He answered while settling down next to her, wondering about what she was watching. Apparently, there was nothing good right now, only re-runs.

Phoenix sighed and looked around the room, hoping something would come to mind. One would think over the years he would have found some hobbies to occupy himself, but nothing could compare to being a lawyer. Playing poker was interesting, though dangerous sometimes, but it wasn't the same.

Athena, out of nowhere, suggested, "Boss, we could do a therapy session if you want."

Wondering where this came from, Phoenix asked in a surprised tone, "Why are you suggesting that, Thena?"

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Your heart seems... I'm not sure if it's the right term, but I'd say "uneasy"."

"'Uneasy', huh...?" It was his turn to be thoughtful, which only showed she was right to some extend. Was it really worth her time? Not to mention voicing his doubts was useless and could be offensive to her and Apollo. He didn't want to make her worry over something so little. He would sort it on his own. "I really appreciate the offer, but it's not that important, anyway. Thank you for proposing though."

He knew lying would only backfire, so he went for the truth, or something near it anyway. The younger seemed disappointed – Widget "aw"-ed in sync with her –, but she didn't insist, only assuring him, "'Kay, but I'll be there if you need me!"

"Thanks," answered the older with a sheepish smile.

They were silent for a few seconds, the TV playing in the background, and Phoenix suggested, "Do you want to play a game, Thena?"

Her expression softened in an enthusiastic smile as she nodded. "How about Scrabble?" She suggested.

With a disapproving wince, Phoenix voiced his condition, "You must promise to use English words only! No German, no Spanish, no French, no anything!"

Though dejected, she agreed and they got the game. They used the small table between the couch and the TV. Phoenix took the armchair Apollo was using most of the time – he wasn't there anyway, no harm done – while Athena stayed in her place.

As she promised, she only used English words, though Phoenix could see she was very tempted to stray. The game was close, but he won in the end, by a very small margin.

"If only I could have used some German back there...!" The girl exclaimed, as the sore loser she was.

"Better luck next time, Thena!"

"Another game!" She pleaded. "I'll win this time!"

"We'll see," he answered with a grin.

Play another game they did (won by Athena that time), and another one, and by the fourth one Apollo finally got out of the office, looking exhausted and slightly ruffled. Phoenix arched an eyebrow at his sudden appearance and the younger answered the unsaid question, "It's passed noon, Boss. We should eat something."

He hadn't realize it was this late, but his stomach reminded him right at this moment, making a loud noise. He chuckled and added, "I guess it _is_ time for lunch."

Athena giggled and got up, before saying, "It's my turn to make lunch, right? I actually brought some food, I'm gonna go get everything ready. I think it'll take a while though, so I'll call you when it's done."

And with that, she was gone, leaving the two men alone. Phoenix mumbled, though loud enough for the younger to hear, "And there she goes..."

Apollo didn't make any comment and stood there for a while, looking back and forth from the kitchen to the office. Phoenix assumed he was wondering if he should go back to work or stay while Athena was making the meal. With a sly grin, Phoenix made him decide, "I lost my partner, Polly. Think you'll be up to replace her?"

Competitiveness filled the kid's eyes as he accepted the challenge, "Don't look down on me, boss, you might lose."

"Ooh, I look forward to it."

It wasn't poker, of course, and Phoenix wasn't as skilled in this game, but sometimes the personae he had for seven years came back to him. You can't be someone for so long without after effects. Even if he was less confident in his ability, he still bluffed, knowing full well losing against Apollo at this sorts of game wouldn't be that bad. Moreover, he couldn't help but answer to the younger's taunts.

They played for a while, but couldn't finish before Athena called them. While eating, they shoot the breeze and laughed in a perfect picture of a happy family. This was where Phoenix wanted to be. This was perfection. After being through so much, he got to the point in his life he was pretty sure was the happiest.

He still thought, with a little sadness, that it would be great if he could see Maya and Pearl more often. The first was always so busy she managed to visit about twice a year only; being the master in charge of the Kurain Temple was a huge task not to take lightly. At least he saw Pearl more often, though she couldn't come as much as before since she was in college. To think little Pearls was now a college student aiming to become an archivist! Thinking about it always managed to make him feel so old and lonely.

He wallowed in nostalgia for so long he didn't listen to the conversation anymore. Apollo noticed and gazed his way before asking, "Something wrong, boss?"

He didn't have time to prepare a lie, not to mention he knew full well his two proteges would see through it anyway. "Ah, nothing," he answered truthfully. "I was only thinking of good old days."

He was getting good at lying without really lying – a trick you had to pick up if you lived and worked with three lie detectors. Athena looked at him with scepticism, certainly thinking this had to do with what he didn't want to tell her earlier. Nevertheless, she didn't say anything.

"You sound like an old man," Apollo commented, rolling his eyes.

"I'm thirty-six," provided Phoenix, "I _am_ getting old." It was meant to come out as a joke, but he didn't quite manage to add the right tone; therefore it sounded way more depressing than what he had anticipated.

Apollo's expression softened and he affirmed truthfully, "You're not _that _old, Boss. Think of it as having more experience. At least you're not treated as a rookie anymore, are you?" Phoenix could sense some resentment behind his words: it was pretty clear he was getting tired of being treated as a rookie himself. Because of his physique, people often thought he was much younger and inexperienced than what he really was.

"True enough," conceded the older with an honest laughed.

Athena beamed at him and added, "You also get to boss us around! Must feel great to have that much power and wisdom!"

"Athena," intervened Apollo, "Mr. Wright _is _our boss. It's only expected he would 'boss us around'."

Athena didn't relent and began to list all the good things about being older. Phoenix listened with more amusement than real interest. He didn't need to get told the good parts of being older, as he already knew them more than her. Apollo seemed to understand and he changed subject so they could have a more meaningful conversation.

After lunch, Apollo got back to his work while Athena decided to study psychology. On his own, Phoenix laid down on his couch, hoping to recover some sleep. With a lazy smile, Phoenix pondered about Apollo's reaction when he would see him sleep in broad-day light.

For some reason, Apollo assumed Phoenix was getting plenty of rest at night – his boss never told him the truth, not wanting to worry him. Actually, a lot of people thought he always slept like a baby. They also thought he didn't give a damn about what others thought about him, given his usually carefree demeanour. While it was true he didn't mind as much as the people in general, he still worried about how he was perceived. He was faking being confident and proud all the time: he had plenty of doubts himself.

But now was not the best time to think about this. He wanted to sleep, if only for an hour or so, and he needed to clear his head. His eyes closed, he tried to focus on his breathing, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Of course, it didn't work – it never worked. He tried to summon some relaxing techniques Maya taught him, to no avail. Bringing Maya up only managed to make him sad and lonely.

No matter how many friends he had over the years, how many people he met, he still felt something special for Maya. Somewhere along the line, he even thought maybe he was in love with her, since she was so dear to him, but he realized quickly it never was romantic. Maya was his sister, his confident, his assistant of course, his partner. She was there when he had hard times and good times. He even tried to cross a bridge in fire despite his acrophobia to make sure she was safe!

What would he give to have her in here again, asking for burgers or talking about food in general, with that grin of hers. Her determination and her insights on him would surely help get everything he was thinking in the right order, so he would know how to deal with Apollo and his adoption. Maybe he should call her. He could even go visit her. That would be fun.

He could bring Trucy with him – she always loved going to see her Aunt Maya. Ah, but she was near her exams, so maybe it wasn't the best time. He contemplated bringing Apollo along, as he also enjoyed seeing Maya and going to Kurain, but remembered it was precisely to discuss of Apollo. That could become awkward. As for Athena, he already knew she planned on having a sleep-over with Simon, not to mention she was usually busy in the weekends.

It seemed like he'd have to go on his own. Oh well, it would be fun nevertheless.

Phoenix heard the door of the office squeak slightly, so he opened his eyes. Before he could say anything at all, Apollo scolded him, "Boss, what are you doing? It's still open hours! What if a client were to come?"

It was so predictable Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle. "Calm down, Polly," he told him while sitting up. "I wasn't even sleeping anyway."

The younger squinted at him in an attempt to see if he was lying – really, most of the time he was so obvious in his attempts to see lies –, but of course he saw no nervous gesture. He sighed, still unsure, and Phoenix decided to change subject, "So, you're all done?"

Apollo looked surprised for a second, before answering, "You mean work? Yeah, I just finished."

Instead of standing awkwardly, the younger made his way for the armchair, only to stop in front of it and glance towards the couch Phoenix was sitting on. Quite unexpectedly, the younger decided to ditch is favourite chair and plopped down right besides him, in a safe distance though.

Phoenix leaned back and studied his protege, asking a very legitimate question, "Where's Thena?"

"Back in the office," the younger answered while turning towards him. "She's reading a book I think."

Phoenix hummed back and brought his attention at the TV, only to notice it wasn't turned on. Of course it wasn't: he had tried to sleep, not watch it. Apollo seemed to notice too, because he asked, "So, if you weren't watching TV, what were you doing?"

Without stopping to wonder about what he should say, Phoenix briefly answered, "Thinking." Maybe it wasn't the best option, but it was still better than confessing he planned on sleeping, right?

Phoenix could see from the corner of his eyes that Apollo was scanning him, still looking for lies. He really couldn't stop himself, could he. Phoenix wondered if he would trust someone again if his ability was taken from him. Considering how he had been betrayed more than once, it seemed quite unlikely.

Apollo sighed, clearly concluding his boss wasn't lying, and stayed silent for a while. To avoid it becoming awkward, Phoenix took the remote and opened the television. They watched for a while, not looking at each other, until Apollo, without so much as a warning, asked, a little too loud, "Is something on your mind, boss? You're acting kinda strange..."

Phoenix turned his attention once more on his protege. Their gaze met and they locked eyes. He tried to think, fast, about what to say to him, what wouldn't be a lie and what wouldn't betray his thoughts. He still had to see Maya, he still had to make sense of everything he was thinking before confronting him. He was a far cry from ready to tell him anything at all. But he didn't want Apollo to think he didn't trust him, because this was as far from the truth as possible.

Shrugging it off was out of the question, answering truthfully also. He sighed and told him the truth without telling him the truth at all, "Sorry, Polly, I can't talk about it yet."

A look of hurt flashed in his eyes, but Apollo averted his attention back to his hands and made no comments. Phoenix felt bad about it, but he couldn't very well tell him he was still not sure about the whole adoption. He could ask for his opinion, though; maybe that would even make up his own mind.

After an awkward silence, filled by the chatters of the TV, Phoenix tried to change subject and asked, as casually as possible, "I've been meaning to ask you, Polly... did you think about Truce's suggestion?"

Apollo gasped, showing clearly he hadn't expect this at all. He turned his head towards him so quickly it must have hurt. They locked gaze another time, but it didn't last long. Apollo hastily glanced at the floor while answering, "Sorry, I... I didn't have time, with the trial and all that."

Phoenix tried to smile in a comforting manner and dropped a hand on his shoulder. He wished Apollo wasn't a guy and he could give him a hug without it being too awkward. Still, it served the purpose of showing his support, while he tried to be mature and told him, "I know Truce can get carried away, but if you're not comfortable with all of this, I'll find a way to tell her. Just let me know."

He knew on the back of his mind that he was only avoiding the problem once again. After all, if Apollo was the one rejecting the offer, he wouldn't have to voice his thoughts. However, he first meant it as a way to tell Apollo everything would be alright, so he shushed his thoughts and concentrated on him.

The younger one looked up, still dejected, and sighed another time. "I just don't know what to think of it, that's all," he confessed, his eyes closing for a moment. "I never had a family before, so it's all new to me. I'm sorry, I'll just have to get used to the idea."

Phoenix detached his hand from his shoulder and let it fall on his laps. Another silence filled the room, both of them being in deep thoughts. Phoenix was about to say something – he didn't even know what –, when he was cut off by the door of the office opening.

Athena, obviously, walked inside the room. Both guys looked up to her and she blinked at them before asking, "Sorry, am I interrupting?"

"No no," Apollo hastily answered, "we were finished talking. Right, Boss?"

The older, a little flustered, agreed pretty lamely, "Yeah, right, of course...!"

Apollo looked at him funnily, obviously picking on his nervousness, but Athena made no comments and sat down in Apollo's armchair. While playing with her hair, she asked what they should do. Phoenix got back on track and suggested they watch a movie. Apollo grunted in disapproval, but didn't really argue.

The decision was clear: Phoenix would go visit Maya as soon as possible. With that in mind, he tried to relax and get in the movie, but he couldn't stop himself from glancing at his protege. He really hoped nothing would challenge yet again the relationship they had so much difficulties to build.

* * *

><p><em>This is really important, as I am pretty sure it will come up a lot in the future, so you should read it! It's about Athena's ability: it's never made clear what she actually hears from people's heart, so I decided it's not words. As we know it, words are imperfect and most of the time can't get across our real feelings. Since we're dealing with emotions, words are too rational. Therefore, I deduced Athena hears the raw emotions in a way only she can understand, before translating it into words, using for that end her own knowledge of the situation.<em>

_The whole point of this explanation was that I think Athena can perceive emotions from someone without being able to explain the cause if she has no knowledge. As for what happened in this chapter, since she couldn't begin to understand what put her boss' heart in "uneasiness", she can only put the emotion into words without being able to deduce it has to do with Apollo's possible adoption. I hope this was clear enough for you all to understand!_

_So, did you like Phoenix? He was more difficult to write than Apollo, I'm not sure why. I just had to bring up Maya because, well, she is important to Phoenix. Looking forward to his trip? Well I am! (though I should warn you it will not happen in the next chapter)_

_See you next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter doesn't contain Hobopollo at all since it's from Trucy's PoV (not to mention it is shorter, sorry). This happens when you wanna make space for a lot of characters. It will still serve its purpose, as you shall see. I also kind of introduced a pairing I find really cute with Trucy, though I'm still wondering if I should make it happen for real or let them as friends. You can tell me your opinion on the matter if you want (I'll tell which ship it is at the end, but it will be clear enough)._

_Oh, and I suck at finding titles and names and whatnot, so I'm sorry in advance for what I chose in this chapter. Let's say it's the best I could do and leave it at that._

_The good news is that my writing's actually coming along pretty well and I have lots of unpublished chapters on my computer. So I have decided to start update twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays! I'll maintain this pace for as long as I can! In truth, I'm getting really excited about this story (and I hope it's also your case)!_

_Have a good read!_

* * *

><p>"By the way, I'm going to visit Maya this weekend."<p>

Trucy looked up from her meal and frowned at her dad. It was the first time he talked about going to Kurain and it was Thursday. The other times he went, it was planned at least a week before. And he dropped it casually, as if he was talking about going to the supermarket – except Kurain was a two hour train ride from the Agency.

"This weekend?" Asked a disbelieving Trucy. Her father had the decency to look a little embarrassed as he was playing with his food. He answered sheepishly, "Yeah... I know you're busy with your exams, so you don't need to come. I'm sure Maya will miss you though."

The daughter didn't drop the subject and asked, as innocently as she could get, "Why so suddenly?"

Her father scratched the back of his neck, meaning he was looking for a lie. Why he bothered to lie to her was a wonder, as she most of the time could see right through it, habit-sensing ability or not. However, he didn't seem to lie as he answered, while putting down his fork, "I missed Maya, so I called her. She told me she actually was thinking about me. It has been quite a while since we saw each other, and she had time this weekend, so..."

This was good enough for Trucy, who knew all too well how much her Daddy loved Maya. When she was younger, she would sometimes suggest she should become her Mom. It made her remember how Pearl and her used to talk about the cute couple Phoenix and Maya would form. Now she knew their bond wasn't of that kind, but even stronger, built on absolute trust and understanding.

Come to think of it, it has been quite a while since she mentioned wanting a mother. She used to say it not exactly because she wanted one, but more because she knew Phoenix was lonely. She thought, when she was but a child, that getting a mom would resolved everything. Now she knew it was more complex than it seemed. Still, being in a real relationship certainly could help her Daddy.

Anyway, this wasn't the time to think about it. She beamed at him and wished him, "Have a nice trip, Daddy! Oh, and don't forget to bring a gift!"

Phoenix's expression softened and, while making a mess of her hair, he assured her, "Thanks, Truce! I'll make sure to bring back something for you!" Eventually, he stopped stroking her head and dropped his hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Trucy," he confessed with a loving smile.

"I love you too, Daddy."

They resumed eating in silence, not awkward at all – living with someone often meant at some point you had nothing to say. Trucy thought back at her exams and winced, knowing full well she still had so much to study. She wanted to go to college, after all. There was a university close by that had a degree in dramatic arts. Being a magician was really fun, but she thought she could use more options. She wanted to be on stage, there was no doubt about it, so acting was also appealing to her.

The point was that she needed good grades if she wanted to be accepted. It was her last year of high school, after all, there was no delaying.

When they were finished, Trucy got up and mentioned some studying to do before going in her room. At her desk, she got out her books and tried to get started. However, she had the bad idea of checking her phone – she knew she should never do it if she were to study, but it was so tempting.

Of course, there were new texts. All were from the same person, the one she exchanged the most texts with: Pearl. She smiled while opening her phone and read her texts. She basically complained about how much work college was, even though she enjoyed it very much. Trucy knew she only looked for some comfort, so she provided it by telling her studying for entrance exams was even worse.

Pearl agreed with her and they discussed for a while, Trucy's revision forgotten as she laid on her bed. She could hear the television playing in the other room and wondered if she should just go over there, since she obviously wasn't studying. After some pondering, she decided against it and nestled in her bed while texting.

At some point, she told her about Phoenix's trip to Kurain and Pearl immediately fangirled over his love for Maya. Trucy giggled, knowing by now her reaction was more of a habit than anything. The magician wrote her doubts about how sudden it was and the college student conceded it wasn't usual. Maybe it meant they were really missing each other.

Phoenix did look like he missed Maya, but it still smelled fishy. Since she couldn't pin point the source of her uneasiness, she shrugged it off and talked about the next show Pearl and her were supposed to go see. The band, named The Stars, was much like the Gavinners, in the sense that they was all good-looking males playing for their fangirls. Instead of being based on the law, they obviously were themed around the stars – the ones in the sky.

Pearl got excited so easily it was cute. They talked a while about the band, their member, and overall fangirling. She could picture her giggling and blushing while talking about the gorgeous musicians.

Eventually, Trucy managed to get up and get to her desk. She sat down and settled her phone on her right while she began to study. Each time she had a text, it would vibrate and she would open it to answer. It wasn't really efficient studying, but at least she was getting some work done.

Trucy decided to invite her over in the weekend, since her dad wouldn't be there and she didn't have a show Saturday – she had one Friday. The point was to try to motivate each other to study. Pearl suggested they went to the library first, to try to avoid any distraction.

When it was time to go to sleep, she entered the living-room, where Phoenix seemed to watch the television, and plopped besides him with a sleepy smile. "Daddy," she informed him, "I'm gonna go to bed."

His father smiled at her and hugged her tightly, wishing her a good night, "Okay, sleep tight, sweetheart!"

"You too, Daddy!"

They hugged a while longer, until Trucy wondered when her father would let go. Some times, he wouldn't stop hugging her until she started to complain, like he believed she would disappear the second he let go. This time, however, he backed down before she had to say anything and grinned at her.

"Don't go to sleep too late!" She scolded him while getting up, very much acting like his mother.

"Okay, Mom!" He answered in a sarcastic tone.

She giggled and wished him a good night once more before going to bed. She had already brushed her teeth and changed in her pajamas, so she only had to get under her blanket. She texted Pearl for some time in the dark, engulfed in the warmth of her blanket. Eventually, she told her best friend she needed to sleep and wished her a good night.

Soon, Saturday was there and Trucy got ready to go to the library. Her father had woken up earlier than her and left a note stating he would be back by the end of Sunday. After breakfast, she got dressed in a nice blue one piece. She made sure to wear warm leggings so she wouldn't get too cold.

They had decided to meet at Pearl's university, since she needed the references to make her report – Trucy only needed her own books to study. It wasn't the first time she went there, so she made her way easily.

Pearl was there before her – she was living on the campus after all. Trucy scanned her from afar, noting she was wearing really cute baby pink shorts with white tights under it. Her short coat was also white, giving her a juvenile but really cute look. Her black boots with not quite so high heels weren't fitting well, but Trucy knew it were her only winter boots. She had stopped wearing the traditional outfit of Kurain when she got into college, since she decided to pursue another career.

Trucy approached her from the back and bounced on her by surprise. She could feel her startle as she jumped and yelped. The magician, with a huge grin, blocked both her eyes so she couldn't see and asked, in a sing-song voice, "Guess who's there!"

Pearl immediately eased in her embrace and answered with a laugh, "Trucy, it's you!"

She let her go and stood in front of her while beaming. "Pin pon," she said, "that's the right answer!"

Pearl giggled once more, her hand in front of her mouth, and looked at her with glee in her eyes. "How are you, Trucy?" She asked.

The magician also giggled. "Really, Pearly?" She said. "We've been texting since this morning!"

The older girl blushed from embarrassment, but, before she could say anything, Trucy took her hand and guided her to the library. On the way there, they intertwined their fingers while talking about this and that. Maybe it was strange to hold hands with a friend, but they were doing it ever since they were kids. By now, it was more of a habit than anything.

Once they got a table, they sat down besides each other and started to study. It actually helped her concentration, Trucy noted. It really was easier to work outside of home. She should do it more often.

Still, they talked from time to time, whispering because they were in a library. It wasn't important stuff, however, more like teasing one another.

A couple hours later, Trucy stretched up before voicing, not too loudly, that she needed a break. Pearl agreed and they decided to call it a day. Pearl suggested they stopped by her room before going back to Trucy's so she could leave her books and grab her bag for her sleepover.

They didn't linger in her room, but Trucy could notice it was, as usual, really clean. It was one trait they didn't have in common at all: while Pearl was obsessed over cleaning, Trucy was really untidy. They always argued about this, Trucy insisting it was a waste of time and Pearl defending it was unhealthy not to do it.

As they reached the Agency, of course, Pearl had to roll up the sleeves of her white and pink sweater and start to tidy a bit. Trucy knew by now there was no way to stop her and decided to make some hot chocolate with a plate of cookies. When she put everything on the table of the living-room, Pearl looked up from what she was putting away. Since she noticed the treat, she stopped what she was doing and came over.

Trucy had settled down on the couch, thus Pearl sat down next to her and grabbed her cup, thanking her hostess with a smile. They both drank and ate while talking about The Stars, their studies, and everything they could think about. When their chocolates were almost finished, Pearl asked, as if she just remembered, "Oh, by the way, Trucy, what happened with Polly? You never told me!"

Somewhere along the line, Pearl had started to use Apollo's nickname – surely because Trucy would always call him like that. Trucy immediately felt discouraged and she sighed. "I'm not sure why," she answered, "but he's not as pleased as I would have thought. I mean, I was sure the idea of having a family would be great!"

"Did he said no?" Asked a surprised Pearl. The magician turned around with big eyes and almost yelled, "What? No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

Making herself smaller, the older looked away and tried, "Well, I thought that's what you were saying..."

Trucy calmed down a little and explained some more, "He didn't say no, but he insisted he didn't know. He already said we were like family to him! Honestly, why is he so hesitant?"

"What about Mr. Nick?"

"I don't know," Trucy admitted, "Daddy's strange lately." She sighed once more and leaned back, feeling a little helpless. "He was talking like he was against it, but that shouldn't be, right? I mean, Daddy likes Polly! Why would he reject him?"

Pearl looked thoughtful. "Maybe there's something else," suggested the ex-channelling apprentice. "Or he was just taken by surprise. You didn't talk about it with him before, right?"

Slightly embarrassed by Pearl's true assumption, she tried to argue, "I was sure he would be okay with it. Why wouldn't he be? Polly's my big brother!"

"But that doesn't make him his son, Trucy."

That shut Trucy up and she looked at her friend while thinking. She had assumed all along it was the only way to go about everything, very much like when people got in a relationship, they would get married and have kids. She thought everybody would be happy with Apollo's adoption and therefore never thought it through. Now that she did, though, she had to admit one thing, "It's true that Daddy doesn't act with Polly as he does for me..."

"That would be strange," commented the college student.

"… but that doesn't mean he can't be his Daddy too! Okay, maybe they're only, what, twelve years apart? And maybe they're both lawyers working in the same agency, but still..."

At this point, Pearl took her hand. "It's their decision, Trucy, you know it," she explained, looking straight in her eyes. "And it's not because they don't want it that they don't like each other."

The youngest suddenly felt really sad, though she couldn't understand why. She blinked before grabbing tightly her hand and added, "I know, Pearly, but... I don't know. I guess I got carried away." She felt tears in her eyes. God, why was she about to cry for something like that? It's not like it was that important anyway!

Pearl smiled in a comforting manner, but her eyes were sad too. "You feel like they rejected you, right?" She stated more than she asked.

This one sentence explained everything and she nodded, now having a huge knot down her throat. Pearl got closer and hugged her with her free arm, telling her everything was okay. Trucy didn't understand why, but she felt even more like crying.

She gripped her back and burrowed her face in her shoulder as she let some tears fall down. Pearl was right, she was taking all of this too personally. Ever since she learned Apollo was her brother, she felt so elated. She truly liked him and it was really nice to know some of her family was actually so near her. It also explained why they had so much in common. It was so amazing.

That's why she wanted Apollo to be her brother officially.

She stopped crying after a while, but stayed in Pearl's embrace, enjoying her warmth. She was patting her back, sometimes going to her hair, while shushing her. It felt like home, being with Pearl, pretty much like when she was with Phoenix or Apollo.

When she realized she cried for so long, Trucy chuckled nervously as she attempted to break the hug. Pearl let go only to grab her hand afterwards. "Are you okay, Trucy?" She asked, full of concern.

"Yes, Pearly! I'm all fine now!" Trucy answered after rubbing her face and forcing a huge smile.

Pearl giggled and commented, "You sound like Polly now."

Trucy couldn't help but laugh. Feeling bold, she actually got up and shouted, "I'm Trucy Wright, and I'm fine!"

Pearl doubled with laughter, insisting she was insane, but Trucy, not dejected at all, grabbed her and made her stand up. "Do it too, Pearly!" she insisted with a mischievous grin.

She blushed hard and stuttered, "W-what? B-b-but...!"

"Just do it," insisted Trucy. "You'll see, it feels great."

It wasn't a lie: she was actually feeling pumped. Maybe she should start doing it more often. Albeit timidly, Pearl finally did it, "I-I'm Pearl Fey and I... I'm fine!"

Trucy laughed before shouting one more time, soon followed by Pearl, who was more pumped and less shy this time. They did it a couple of time before landing on the couch, exhausted even if they didn't do much. "No wonder Polly has such a loud voice if he's doing it everyday," commented Trucy.

Pearl nodded. They stayed silent for a while, before the magician looked at the DVD and saw it was time for dinner. She beamed at her guest and told her she had to cook their meal. Pearl insisted to help her and they went over the kitchen. They prepared everything while chatting happily.

After dinner, Pearl got out of her bags some DVDs of The Stars they wanted to watch for some time now. They fangirled over the boys on the screen while sometimes nearly shouting the lyrics, forgetting about the possible neighbours. They overall had such a great time it was way over ten o-clock when they talked about going to bed.

Trucy placed the spare mattress on the ground near her bed and put the sheets over it. Pearl came back from the bathroom in a pink pyjama covering almost all of her body. It seemed warm and really comfy. Trucy's pyjama in contrast was a huge t-shirt of some obscure group and some dark sweatpants.

They lied down, but didn't sleep right away. Since it was dark, they talked about more embarrassing questions. Trucy asked her friend if she had a boyfriend, but she answered truthfully that no one interested her right now. Because of where she grew up, and considering all the men she knew when she was young abandoned their wife, she had a hard time trusting men.

Pearl of course asked back and Trucy didn't know what to say. There was a cute boy in her class, but they never really talked and she wasn't sure if it was love or only a small crush. She still told her all about him and Pearl assured her she should go for him. After all, she was a nice, cute girl that everybody should love.

Trucy felt happy and embarrassed when she complimented her like that.

A while later, they fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, Trucy noticed Pearl wasn't sleeping anymore. Even her mattress wasn't there. While getting up, she deduced the older girl had gone on a cleaning rampage.

Sure enough, she found her in the living-room, actively cleaning everything. When she noticed her, she wished her a good morning. Trucy mumbled a greeting and walked to the kitchen, adamant on eating breakfast before doing anything else. Her best friend joined her shortly and they ate in silence.

When they were finished, Pearl mentioned she still had to study and would need to get going. Albeit disappointed, as each time Pearl had to go, Trucy sent her off with a smile and a promise to see each other really soon.

Now all alone for quite some time, the magician tried to get to study, to no avail. She couldn't concentrate at all. Between what happened yesterday – mainly her own breakdown – and worries about Apollo and Phoenix, she had plenty to think about. After some time, she gave up and went outside for a walk.

Since she had some money, she decided to go shopping for some clothes. She found awesome pieces at a reasonable price and overall felt a lot better than she did in the morning. She stopped on the way home to buy grocery for the dinner, since Phoenix was supposed to come back that evening.

When she got home, her dad wasn't there yet, but he arrived not that long after. He greeted her with a hug and a kiss on her forehead before giving her a bag full of cakes. Trucy recognized a local speciality from Kurain and thanked her father with a huge smile.

Over dinner, Trucy realized Phoenix seemed different. She couldn't tell exactly what had changed, but he seemed calmer than he did before going to see Maya. It seemed like he really had needed to meet with his dear friend.

"I'll try to convince Polly," Phoenix told her without as much as a warning. Since she looked at him with round eyes, not understanding what he was talking about, he clarified, "About his adoption."

Trucy almost couldn't believe it. "Daddy, you're not against it after all?" She asked, still in shock.

"I guess I just felt old," he explained, laughing sheepishly. "I mean, talking about adopting a twenty-four years old was a huge blow. It made me remember I'm not that young anymore. But meeting Maya helped a lot."

Now feeling giddy, she beamed at him and even got up to hug him. She was so happy Phoenix finally agreed with her! They only needed to get across to Apollo and then, everything would be fine.

* * *

><p>… <em>I got carried away pretty much like Trucy and got this written in a day. I'm sorry Pearl and Trucy had more of a romantic moment than the actual couple. Yeah. Let's say it was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you. I never planned Trucy would be the first to break down. But I guess this deepens her character. I really love her, by the way, maybe because she's Apollo's sister (I loved her way before I knew, though).<em>

_Ah, so, should I make Pearl/Trucy official or not? It could help the plot, I think, but since it's supposed to be yaoi... well, that's why I'm asking you what you think about it. At least, if I don't make this official, I won't ship either of them with anyone else. Maybe I'll just let it unsaid... we'll see._

_Sorry (not sorry) about not describing the trip yet. Of course I'll do it, don't you get worried over it. But it won't be in the next chapter because I'm as evil as that! Mouahaha!_

_So, until next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

_As the feedback was quite positive, I decided Pearl/Trucy will become official at some point. I won't focus on it much, obviously, but they will have their moments. Feel free to let me know if there are other ships you want (apart from the ones that are already decided, of course)! I'm not sure I will make them fit, but perhaps I will... I could write them separate fics as well, if I'm inspired enough._

_So, Apollo's back! Yipee! I love my little demon attorney! But Phoenix's not there... guess the Hobopollo will have to wait longer. Sorry guys!_

_Also I decided, since I mentioned Simon, I might as well give him a good part of this fic because he deserves it. Simon/Apollo is one of my (too many) guilty pleasures. Here they're gonna be friends of course (I intend to make them become good friends), but I do like to think of them romantically also. Simon needs more love. Everyone should give him love. Tons and tons of love._

_So, yeah... I'm not sure how Simon is supposed to talk (I think I would find it easier in Japanese than English), so I decided for a speech awfully formal. It surely doesn't sound like how he talks in the games, but I'm not good enough in English to portray it more accurately. I'm sorry if he feels OoC because of it._

_Okay then, have a good read!_

* * *

><p>Sometimes, Apollo really hated weekends. Weekends could be pretty great if you saw friends, if you went to some events or even made a trip. It could also be useful if you had to work part time and didn't have time in the week.<p>

This peculiar weekend, though, Apollo had nothing of the sorts.

Back when he was a college student, and even some time after he became an attorney, he used to work part time at a bookstore to pay for his rent and studies. Now that the Agency had enough clients to make a decent pay – not that much, mind you, but enough to live by Apollo's standards, which weren't high at all –, he didn't need to work there anymore.

At first he thought it would be great, to have the weekends all for himself, but he quickly realized it wasn't the case.

Back when Clay was still alive, they would meet at least every other week, if not weekly. The young astronaut was busy, but never enough to keep distance with Apollo. They both always managed to make time to talk and have fun together.

But now, after his death, Apollo found himself increasingly free. With no work and no meeting with Clay, his weekends suddenly became too long for his liking.

Often, he invited himself over to the Wright's and they would hang out, pretty much like in the weekdays – except they didn't expect a client to show up. He would play games with his boss and his sister – sometimes Athena was there, though not quite often as she had more of a social life – and they would watch movies and eat together. This time, however, his boss had announced Friday he was going to go to Kurain in the weekend. Trucy was also busy with a show and a meeting with Pearl.

All of this leading to this unavoidable truth: it was Saturday morning and Apollo was already bored out of his mind.

Well, the first thing he could and should do was cleaning a little. But it would take a couple of hours at most and then he'd be left with nothing to do and a toilet cleaned two times – not that he was that zealous, obviously, but it was better than doing nothing.

By noon everything was done and Apollo was sitting at his table, eating while vaguely watching the TV. He knew that by the time he would be finished, he would have the sudden urge to go outside. He couldn't possibly stay inside his room all day. He had never done it and never planned to do it.

He was thinking about what he should do – he might as well do something more useful than just walk – when his phone rang. It was by his side on the table, therefore he picked it up in no time. He wasn't really surprised when Athena's name glowed on the screen – she was the one calling him the most, as their boss never used his phone and Trucy never needed to call him. "Hey, Athena!" He answered with enthusiasm.

The woman laughed at something before asking, "Oh, Polly, you're there?"

"No, I'm not," he answered in a sarcastic tone.

"Great," added the girl, ignoring completely the sarcasm. "Actually, I'm here with Simon and – hey, stop playing, would you! I'm talking with Polly!"

He heard some noise, like there was a little altercation, and he listened with curiosity. She couldn't possibly be playing a game with Simon, right? That was the strangest thought ever. Her voice came closer and she went on, "Sorry, Simon's a jerk. Anyway, so I thought maybe we could meet and, you know, talk and have fun and all? Unless you had something planned?"

Apollo could finally talk and he answered, trying hard not to sound desperate, "No, no, I'm free, I'm totally free. I mean... it would be great! So, um, what did you have in mind?"

"Simon would like to go to a new coffee shop in town. We could meet there?"

"Sounds good," agreed the attorney.

Athena's voice was muffled as she informed Simon of his acceptance. When she came back, Apollo asked her before she could end the call, "Are you playing a game with Prosecutor Blackquill?"

"Yeah," she giggled as she answered, "he came over yesterday and we've been playing video games all night. We slept like maybe six hours. Nah, make that four. Anyway, he's a cheater and a sore loser!"

Apollo could hear some protests from the prosecutor, but he couldn't make out the words. Athena laughed even more before adding, "Anyway, I'll send you the address. Meet you there at two o-clock, 'kay?"

Apollo smiled despite himself and agreed, "'Kay, cool. See you there!"

"Bye!"

He hung up and stayed thoughtful for a moment, trying to picture Simon of all people playing video games all night long. Maybe he was a normal human being after all. At least, more normal than people usually gave him credit.

The coffee shop's address came not long after. It was pretty near his home, half an hour on foot. After having put his plate in the sink, he went over his small closet and wondered about what he should wear. Of course, he couldn't put on a suit, knowing this was an informal meeting. He didn't have a vast choice of casual clothes, but he had enough to be picky.

He went for a dark red t-shirt under his red coat – more than three quarter of his t-shirts and shirts were red – and some black tight jeans completed with his Converses – he had bought them when he was a highschooler and still wore them from time to time. Now fully dressed, he went outside.

This was a relief, really. Now he didn't have to wonder about what he should do of his Saturday. There still was Sunday, but he would think about it later.

His walk went well and he felt pumped, ready to talk and have fun. Having fun with someone like Simon was a foreign concept, but he decided he would try to make out the most of it. Athena would be there, at least, and if she was there, then he could relax: she knew how to make Simon talk and she was a pro at ending awkward situations.

When he spotted the coffee shop, he looked at his phone and noticed he was five minutes early. Nevertheless, as soon as he entered the shop, he noticed the two lawyers sitting by one of the window. He waved to them with a smile as he made his way.

Now this was a table for four person with two chairs on each side. Athena and Simon were already facing each other, meaning Apollo had to decide if he would sit besides the woman or the prosecutor. After a few seconds of pondering, he quickly decided to go over to his coworker, since he knew her better.

Athena gave him a quick hug without getting up and beamed at him. Apollo, now used to her demonstration of affection, smiled in return. Wanting to be as considerate as possible, he also faced Simon and greeted him, "Hello, Prosecutor Blackquill!" Even if they weren't in the courtroom, it only felt right to call him that way.

"Good afternoon, Justice-dono," answered the Twisted Samurai with a bow reminding him of Japaneses.

Athena giggled – Apollo wondered how often she laughed –, but she didn't comment on their greetings and decided to explain the menu to him. By all means, it really looked like any normal coffee shop. There was all sorts of coffee, hot chocolates, tea, and some desserts.

After they had read the menu and discussed of this and that, the waiter came to take their order. Athena went for something that seemed awfully sweet, with a dessert to boot, while Simon asked for a green tea only. Apollo went for a coffee, not feeling really hungry either.

As they waited, Athena filled the conversation with trivial subjects. Simon made some comments, most of them snarky, while Apollo objected from time to time. It was a good chatter, but nothing of importance.

The waiter came back with their purchase and they tasted their own order while commenting on it. Apparently the tea was really good, while Athena's whatever was so good she could die – her words. Apollo for his part answered truthfully that it was good, but nothing extravagant either.

Silence fell on them as they ate. It would soon become awkward if no one thought of a topic, but thankfully Athena was there. However, Apollo would soon curse his luck, as she decided to bring out a question he absolutely didn't want to think or talk about, "So, Polly, have you thought about, you know, the adoption?"

Why was everybody so eager? First Phoenix, and now Athena? Not to mention she asked while Simon was there. Speaking of which, the prosecutor asked with real interest, "Whose adoption are we talking about?"

"Oh, yeah, you don't know, right?" Athena explained, facing him. "Actually, we're talking about Boss – I mean, Mr. Wright – adopting Polly here!"

Simon didn't seem to understand – it was clear in his eyes that he was at a loss for words – and Apollo tried to remember if they told him about Trucy and him being siblings. It's not like they announced it to everyone; actually, they almost never talked about it. Trucy was the only one making a huge deal out of it at school, or so it seemed.

Apollo glanced to Athena and stated the obvious, "Athena, I think Prosecutor Blackquill doesn't know about me and Trucy." She made a startled expression before voicing her stupor, "What? Nobody told him?"

"Should I be aware of something?" Simon asked, very much proving his point.

Apollo exhaled while trying to organize his thoughts. Athena seemed to understand this was more of his concern and let him explain everything, "You know Trucy, Mr. Wright's adopted daughter, right?" Simon nodded while staring him straight in the eyes. "We discovered some time ago," Apollo went on, "that she was my biological sister. We have the same mother, so she's my half sister."

A look of understanding flashed in the prosecutor's eyes as he seemed to catch on sooner than what Apollo suspected, "Therefore Wright-dono plans on adopting you so his daughter and you would be siblings again?"

Athena intervened before Apollo could correct him, "Actually, Trucy was the one suggesting."

"And Mr. Wright haven't agreed yet," mentioned Apollo.

There was a pause as Simon looked thoughtful, but not that surprised anymore. The prosecutor took it in really fast. "You don't seem as surprised as I would have thought," Apollo couldn't help but state.

His eyes turned sorrowful as he commented, his voice lower with repressed emotions, "I have heard and seen far more surprising before."

The attorney obviously didn't ask him more, knowing full well what he was referring to. Athena seemed to understand too as she quickly changed subject, "So, you never answered the question, Polly!"

It took him a second or two to recall what she was talking about and he immediately winced. His reflex didn't go unnoticed by the prosecutor, who was in fact sitting almost in front of him. "You don't seem overly enthusiastic, Justice-dono," he remarked.

Apollo looked at the side, hoping to find some way to avoid the subject, but instead he sighed and admitted, "I really don't wanna talk about it."

"You'll have to decide one day," Athena scolded him in a patronizing but gentle tone.

Apollo grunted in exasperation and cracked in a loud voice, "I don't want to!" When he looked up, he noticed Athena looked dejected, almost sad, and for a second, he felt guilty. But then he remembered she was the one insisting and he wasn't all to blame. Still, now things were awkward as hell.

Simon's stare went back and forth between them, eyes squinted as if he was analyzing them. Apollo suddenly recalled the prosecutor also studied psychology. Was he trying to understand what was going on between them?

In the end, Athena was the first to speak up, "I'm sorry, Polly. I never thought it would be such an issue."

Everyone seemed to think adoption was as trivial as making a new friend. Apollo didn't want to take this lightly. Actually, he pretty much wanted this to have never been brought up. It was immature to think like this, but he couldn't help it. It felt like no matter how much time he would think about it, he would never be able to come up with an answer, even though it should be evident.

Apollo sighed again and apologized too, "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have snapped. I guess I just don't know what to think of it."

"What's making you so uncertain?" Asked the woman in a gentler tone.

"I don't know," answered truthfully the attorney. "I'd really appreciate if we could talk about something else though..."

Athena seemed to finally drop the subject and Simon made no effort to keep it. Instead they moved on to safer grounds as Athena brought up the last episode of Iron Samurai. Great, Simon was a fan too. Really, did everyone enjoy the show apart from Apollo?

Simon seemed to notice his disinterest and brought the conversation on another ground, until they were talking about music. Athena talked about a group really popular right now – The Stars, it was, or something of the sort – and she commented, "The lead singer is so sexy! I wouldn't mind sleeping with such a beauty!"

Apollo gawked and blushed a little at Athena's suggestion, while Simon sighed disapprovingly. "You shouldn't sleep around so much, Athena," the prosecutor admonished her. "It isn't befitting of a young lady."

The woman rolled her eyes as she tried to argue, "I'm not sleeping around that much, you know! Well, it's true that I do some one-night stands and I have some sex friends, but you're making it sound like I'm a whore!"

Apollo thought she sounded a little like it, but he of course didn't say it out loud. He was still surprised though. He had anticipated she wouldn't be a virgin anymore, but she was nineteen and she was talking about sex friends and one-night stands as if it was perfectly normal. Apollo knew he wasn't the norm, but then again, this couldn't be what would be considered common, right?

"Nevertheless," added the prosecutor, "it would be more healthy if you found a partner you'd commit to."

The girl sighed and leaned on the table as she confessed, "I've never been in love before, so... I guess by now it's a lost cause." She chuckled, without joy though. It was a strange noise coming from her, as she usually was so bubbly, and Apollo didn't know what to say.

Simon's expression softened and he reassured her, "You're still young. Love can present itself at any moment in life."

Her expression softened too and she went along, "Yeah, you're right! But I guess till then I'll have to stick with casual sex." There was a meaningful pause, before Athena turned towards Apollo. "Come to think of it, I don't even know if you're gay or straight!" She pointed out, full of curiosity. "Or bi," she added as an afterthought.

Nervousness overcame Apollo as it always did when people were talking about sexual orientation. Most of the time, he tried to dodge or avoid the question altogether, but this was Athena with her psychological powers and her very straightforward questions, not to mention he still felt bad about earlier.

Before he could try to say something, anything, she confessed, "I'm bi, by the way. Or pansexual maybe. I guess I don't mind as long as the other person is hot." She said it so casually, as if it was no problem at all, and Apollo got even more flustered. Surely what he had to say would seem even stranger now. Oh god, why was he like that?

"Well," he tried to say, "the truth is... I'm not sure...?"

Athena was sizing him up, trying to understand what he meant, but Simon thought it was a good time to make himself known again as he asked, "You haven't figured it out yet, is that what I'm to understand?"

He was getting frustrated and even more embarrassed, but he tried to express what he never told anyone before – except for Clay, but Clay knew everything about him. "It's not like that," he explained, "I just... arg, I mean, I have loved people in the past, but I... I'm not sure if I can feel attraction or not... I mean, I think I can, but I've never done anything, because, you know, my relationships were all kind of weird or one-sided..."

"You mean you're still a virgin?" Athena gasped as if she didn't know what tact even meant. Apollo blushed a deep red, now ashamed for life, and nodded. Being a virgin at his age was very uncommon, not to mention it was a source of shame. Even if he tried to tell himself he only needed the right person, that he'd do it in due time, he still couldn't help but feel like an outcast. Like he should have done it long ago and he was weird and unattractive and strange.

It became even harder with the years as people expected more and more he was experienced and okay with talking about it. He actually hated to talk about anything sex related, because he always feared he would betray himself. He had to pretend at times, because he didn't have the strength to say the truth. It was very private matter; he couldn't understand how people were fine with speaking about it, not to mention those that seemed to enjoy boasting.

Still, he felt safer with Athena and Simon than anyone else, because he knew they, of all people, would never make fun of him or tell his secret to everyone. When he finally looked up, they weren't laughing at him, of course; they were both thoughtful, as if trying to understand what Apollo, with his 24 years of life, couldn't make any clearer.

"Doesn't that mean you're asexual?" Asked the woman. "Which would be totally okay, by the way," she quickly added.

He knew how to answer to this, "I'm pretty sure I'm not... I think it's more like, I'll wanna do it when I find someone special, you know?"

"So you do feel attraction?" Insisted Athena.

It was slowly becoming even more awkward and annoying, but he answered nonetheless, "I don't know how people are so sure about it. I mean, I feel _something_ but... I'm not sure what."

Another silence filled their table until Simon, with a determined look, told him, "You don't have to feel ashamed, Justice-dono. It is a beautiful thing to wait for the right person. I'm sure your future partner will understand your situation very well. Pay no heed to those who would say otherwise."

Though the wording was formal, Apollo felt comforted by his statement. Of course, he was right, and Apollo knew it as well, but to be told by someone else was a great feeling. He finally felt accepted, if only by an individual.

"And it's really cute, you know!" Athena chipped in, back to her more cheerful personality. "I actually feel kind of touched!"

Apollo smiled against himself and thought he was glad they were the first to know. "Thanks, Athena, Prosecutor Blackquill," he thanked them truthfully.

Athena grinned and, with a little nudge on his shoulder, she suggested, "After that kind of talk, you're still calling Simon by his title?"

Apollo had to admit it was weird. Still, calling him suddenly by his first name felt even weirder. Simon, though, seemed to think along the redhead, "If you don't mind, you might as well call me Simon. I shall name you Apollo too. Outside of the courtroom, it goes without saying."

Apollo nodded, but still stumbled when he asked, "So then, Prosecu– I mean, _Simon_..." God, that was awkward. He cleared his throat and began anew, "Simon, what about you?"

It was only fair that he told them, after both Athena and Apollo confessed everything. Simon looked startled for a second, after what he looked down at his hands. Apollo waited for some kind of sob story – with Simon, it was only expected –, so what he said came as a surprise, "I, ahem, am presently involved with someone."

Apollo gawked at him, unable to form any words. Coming from anybody, it wouldn't feel so strange, but from _Prosecutor Blackquill_? The Twisted Samurai? And to add to the surprise, he was _blushing._ His cheeks were only a little red, but his pale complexion made it even more flagrant. He was fidgeting with his fingers, clearly nervous – Apollo's bracelet tightened, but not because of some lie, obviously.

"What? Since when?" Athena nearly shouted, as surprised as him. Widget supplied, with both anger and sadness, "Why didn't you tell me?" If she was embarrassed by her necklace's statement, she never showed it. Instead, she stared Simon in the eyes, very intent on making him confess.

He looked up only to look down again and admitted, not answering any of her questions, "I intend to make it official at some point, but for now it should stay between us. Our, um, relationship could cause some... controversies."

"What do you mean?" Asked a now concerned Athena.

But Simon closed up, now fully in control of himself. "I'm sorry, Athena," he told her. "Rest assured, though, that I will tell you when the time is right."

She looked very dejected and Apollo couldn't help but feel even more curious. What was his situation if it required to wait? Was he going out with someone he shouldn't? But then, he did say he would make it official, so maybe the other person just wasn't sure about it? Or was he the one hesitating?

If anything, he respected his privacy and didn't want to intrude. Athena, though, insisted, "You can at least tell us if it's a guy or a girl!" Simon seemed thoughtful for a moment, but, finally, he gave in, "He is a man. But I don't proud myself as a homosexual. I don't care for labels."

Athena nodded, seemingly satisfied. Apollo for his part felt his mind going in full throttle. Even if he didn't want to think about it, he couldn't help but try to find who was crazy enough to go out with Simon. Not that he was a bad guy or anything... he was kind of fun to hang around, when you knew him well enough, and he was very intelligent and kind in his own way. Apollo supposed he was also good-looking, if you liked the tortured samurai type.

Before he started to have even more strange ideas, Apollo pushed his thoughts asides by shaking his head. They stayed for a while in a comfortable silence, since it was pretty difficult to find a topic after something like _that_.

Not that long after, however, Athena suggested, "Since we're finished, how about hanging out at my place for a while? We could play more video games!"

"I think I had enough to last a lifetime," commented dryly Simon.

Athena grinned at him. "You didn't look like it at all yesterday," she slyly commented.

The prosecutor seemed offended. He gripped his shirt on his torso as he barked back, "You were the one who insisted we play well past midnight!"

"And you were the one who didn't wanna let go of the joystick to come here!"

Apollo couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the two bickering. Despite being quite fiery in his defence, Simon seemed like he enjoyed himself. Athena of course was glowing with happiness. Apollo guessed being able to fool around with the guy she wanted to save for pretty much all her life was the best that ever happened to her. And to Simon, obviously.

They ended up going to Athena's, a small apartment Apollo knew quite well now. When he didn't go over to the Wright's, he tended to come here and have fun with her and whoever she brought along – sometimes Juniper and all her friend who had graduate from Themis Legal Academy. There was a living-room, a small kitchen and Athena's bedroom. Overall, it was a nice apartment, one Apollo would like to have if he was like Athena and often invited people over.

The young woman insisted they stayed for dinner and they played lots of video game while talking. The games were mostly fighting type, most of them from Japan – courtesy of Simon. Apollo sucked at those games – at most games, truth be told –, but Athena was really skilled, strangely enough. Simon, though, was a real killer. Apparently he was a huge gamer before going to prison.

Even if he didn't win even one game, Apollo had fun. It was pretty frustrating, but he was used to lose a lot. It usually was in boardgames, because Phoenix had a lot of experience and talent to begin with, but in the end it was all the same.

By the time Simon announced it was time for him to go home, it was past nine. Apollo got the cue and bid farewell to both of them before walking back to his apartment.

What a strange day that was. Apollo thought back to all that was said and decided it had been worth it. He supposed that sealed a friendship between him and Simon. He could only grin at the thought.

The Sunday wasn't as interesting, but Apollo got through by walking around and shopping. Still, it was a relief when Monday came around, even if it meant facing Phoenix and Trucy.

* * *

><p><em>Yay, another chapter that came out of nowhere and doesn't have anything to do with the plot! I do hope it was interesting at least. I had fun writing it at any rate.<em>

_About Apollo, I don't want anyone saying his situation isn't realistic because... well, actually all he thoughts and says about his sexual orientation is something I already thought and would say in the same situation. I don't wanna get too personal, but let's say Apollo's not the only one in his case. It was pretty clear since the beginning that he wouldn't be sleeping around, but after some pondering I decided this because it's something I could easily relate to (and it makes for great angst, yay)._

_Athena needed to be quite open to outweigh Apollo and it didn't feel right to make her only heterosexual or homosexual, so she's bi or pan. I'm pretty sure this isn't considered normal, but no one's normal in AA anyway! (and certainly not in this universe, as everyone seems to become homosexual without my consent...)_

_As for Simon, I will tell with who he's "involved" in due time, but I'm sure you can guess pretty easily (it wasn't meant to be a secret for the reader anyway). It obviously isn't Apollo, Phoenix, Athena or Fulbright (because he was unmasked and is imprisoned), so that should narrow it down pretty much. If not, enjoy the thrill until I tell you (which could take a while)!_

_Then, until next chapter!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Finally, you get to know about Phoenix's trip! I sure made quite a detour before writing it (I can't believe I'm talking about it since chapter 2). I hope I won't let you down! I never really intended to make such a suspense out of it, but I had other things __(non-important but still) __to address before and I'm a sadist so it happened. Don't expect __to__o much though, I don't want you to be disappointed._

_It's the first time I'm writing Maya and I'm sure I screwed up... sorry! The chapter's kind of short also, but I didn't want to add anything after that end._

_Okay, have a great read nonetheless!_

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><p>The train ride to Kurain always seemed horrendously long to Phoenix. Most of the time, it was out of pure excitement over seeing Maya again, but this one time, it was something else entirely.<p>

Phoenix felt so nervous he could throw up. He couldn't help but repeat in his head that talking with Maya about the adoption was a bad idea, even knowing it wasn't the case. He knew he was making a big deal out of nothing and really wondered what happened to his nerves. He had been in far worst situations before, so this issue really shouldn't be anything at all.

However, it didn't help calm him down, quite the contrary. It's like when you want to sleep, you think over and over that you should be sleeping, but that's precisely what's keeping you awake. Thinking about how trivial this was supposed to be only served to stress him even more.

No matter how much he felt nervous about it, he still couldn't wait until he'd see Maya and her grin. He wanted so much to hug her and joke around and talk about food and just, overall, being with her. They should meet more often.

He sighed at this thought while looking outside the window. How many times, while staring at that same scenery, did he swear he'd see Maya more often, only to go back to his daily-life without improving anything? Life was so difficult, some times, you forget about those you hold dearest. Phoenix had thought he was different, but apparently he wasn't.

Going back to Kurain managed to make him more sentimental and nostalgic each time, as if the destination itself was some kind of remainder of his life before his disbarment. Phoenix wasn't the type to live in the past; as an idealist, he lived for the future more than anything. However, he knew pretty well there was a Phoenix of before he lost his badge and one of after, and the first will never come back. All those years of being a fraud had cost him so much he could never go back to his naive and younger self.

He closed his eyes while trying to think of the brighter sides of things. Without his disbarment, he would never have become Trucy's father, and, at this time of his life, his daughter was by far his biggest source of pride. Of course, he was proud of all the cases he won and, mostly, of getting his badge back, but Trucy held a dear place in his heart.

And then, of course, there was Apollo. He would surely have met him in other circumstances, since the kid always wanted to become an attorney, but he also knew their relationship wouldn't be the same. Apollo had known him in his darkest time, and while he wasn't exactly proud of that fact, he knew that in the end it helped deepen their bond. Even if at the time Apollo always seemed angry at him or exasperated – most of the time both.

Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered their first encounter, and how the kid had hit him. He admired his guts back then and it had struck him so much he had wanted Apollo to work for him. He wanted someone as pure and dedicated as him. In facts, everything had been planned so he could ascertain Apollo would never use fake evidence. Of course, he aced that test.

Thinking about Apollo brought back the very topic he so wanted to forget and he leaned back in his chair, trying hard to think of something else. The ride was so desperately long he wasn't sure he could survive until the end.

His mind wandered back to how Trucy had phrased it, and how Athena had reacted, not to forget Apollo's reaction. Apollo of all people should have been enthusiastic. After all, he would get a family, and wasn't that what he always dreamed of?

Apollo never talked much about it, but Phoenix knew he grew up in an orphanage and was never adopted. For whatever reason, it seemed nobody wanted him. Therefore, he grew up without knowing what a family felt like. Fortunately, he had a dear friend back then, but even he was dead now.

Really, Phoenix was about to see Maya again and all he could think about was beyond nerve-wrecking. Couldn't he just look forward to meeting again his dear friend after a couple of months?

The rest of the ride felt like years, but he finally made it in one piece. Maya was waiting for him on the platform as usual. Phoenix braced himself as he came out of the train, knowing full well Maya would shout his name before throwing herself at him.

And, sure enough, as soon as the young woman spotted him, she ran to him while screaming his name. With a smile so huge it hurt, Phoenix faced her and opened his arms in an opened gesture. Maya, as expected, gave him a bear huge.

Phoenix nearly fell backward, but he hugged Maya back to stabilize them both. Their hold tightened as Maya whispered that she missed him so much. Phoenix, while kissing the top of her head, assured her he missed her just as much, if not more.

They stayed in that embrace for quite a time, as always, both needing the contact after so long. To anyone who didn't know them, they would seem like lovers finally reuniting after a long separation, but Phoenix couldn't care less. What was more important was asserting Maya's existence by patting her back and telling her how much he missed her.

Really, why didn't he come more often?

Eventually, they broke their hug and Maya looked at him with her huge eyes – even if she appeared more mature now, she still had those juvenile eyes of her. She was smiling, of course, the kind of smile you can't repress even if you wanted to, the same kind Phoenix was harbouring right now.

The attorney finally picked the bag he had left on the floor and Maya immediately motioned towards the exit of the station. Outside, they went for her car – she got a license some years ago, since it was easier to commute to the station. On the way to the Fey manor, they discussed of this and that.

It wasn't like they never talked, so they didn't really need to take news of one another, but they still did. Phoenix though didn't mention the reason for his trip, since he wanted to talk about it at a better time. Maya for her part told him things were pretty much the same at the manor, if only the number of students seemed to increase with the years. She could make a decent living now, even better than Phoenix – he didn't know if he should be happy for her or feel bad for himself.

When they reached their destination, Maya led him to his room, the same as always, and mentioned she would be in the living-room until he had put his luggage down.

He thanked her and put his pack sac near the closet. He actually didn't have much, so he didn't need the time, but he still sat on the bed to try and calm himself. It wouldn't go bad. Why was he even so anxious about all of this?

It wasn't the time nor place to start questioning himself. He promptly got up and walked to the bathroom to wash his face. This helped lift his spirit and, without pondering anymore, he walked to the living-room.

They weren't alone, as people sometimes passed through the room, but no one interrupted them. Maya had brought tea and some sandwiches. Phoenix suddenly realized it was around noon, hence the lunch.

The ate and talked animatedly about this and that. The Steel Samurai topic came around as they talked about the Iron Samurai and all the shows from the same studio. The conversation stayed on safe grounds until Maya suggested they go for a walk in the mountains nearby.

By now, it was almost a ritual. Even if Phoenix brought someone with him, Maya and him would go for a hike the two of them only. Back when Pearl was still around, Trucy and her stayed behind to play together. The rare times he brought Apollo along, he had stayed with his sister. Athena still hasn't come, as she always had something else planned.

They took the only road and walked in relative silence, both enjoying each other's company. Phoenix felt more at peace with her nearby and forgot the whole ordeal to savour the country's air. It felt great, being in the nature, and he always enjoyed it very much, even if he was without a doubt a city guy.

When they finally reached the top, more than an hour later, they stopped by the little temple and prayed like usual. Phoenix wasn't that keen on praying, but it was Maya's duty to do so and therefore he went along. He always asked the gods to keep Trucy safe, but this time he also added Apollo to the package since it seemed better that way. He truly wanted him safe, after all.

Then, they walked around the temple to reach a look-out with a breathtaking view. Even though Phoenix knew it pretty well by now, he still felt impressed by it each time. They could see the whole village, of course, but the scenery extended well passed it. He took in the whole picture and enjoyed the moment.

They sat down, as they would most of the time, but, instead of staying silent, Maya spoke up, "I know something's wrong, Nick. You wanna talk about it?"

Phoenix turned around to observe her and noticed how she was looking at him. He never thought he could keep anything from her, but he didn't anticipate she would be the one to bring it up. He exhaled, trying to gather his thoughts, and went back to admire the horizon. "It's kind of a complicated matter," he warned her. "You're up to it?"

He could picture her grin growing larger with pride as she announced, "Of course! I'd do anything for you, Nick!" Even while knowing it full well, Phoenix still felt cheer up by her words.

"Well, you know how Trucy is..." he began hesitantly. "I should have seen it coming, but, strangely enough, I didn't." Maya didn't rush him when he stopped, knowing full well he would talk anyway. Phoenix leaned back to take in the broad blue sky over them. "She suggested I adopt Polly. You should have seen her: she was all happy and eager and earnest. It was quite the sight, really."

He paused a little to shift his gaze on the ground, where he was playing with rocks. A sudden gust of wind hit them and Phoenix was forced to remember it was winter and the temperature wasn't all that nice up there. He wasn't cold yet, because of the hike, but he knew they couldn't stay that long. "Athena immediately took her side and added to her enthusiasm," he went on. "You don't know her that much, but Athena can get fired up really quick and really hard. The both of them make quite a team, really."

"It must be difficult at times," Maya finally commented, chuckling.

Phoenix smiled in a more teasing grin and reassured her, "Oh, I've been used to it ever since I've worked with you." He laughed while she pouted and insisted she wasn't that bad. She may have become an attractive and mature woman, but around Phoenix, she acted like she did back when they first met each other. Phoenix also felt like his younger self with her.

Their laughter died and it became silent again. "I know it is a good idea," Phoenix finally confessed after some time. "I like Polly very much and I don't think I could have a better son. And he is Trucy's brother, so I guess this is the logical conclusion..."

"But you feel there's something wrong," provided the young master. Phoenix nodded while bowing slightly towards his legs. He settled his arms on his knees and his cheeks in his palms, more comfortable this way.

"I can't help but think something's wrong," he confessed, "like we're taking the problem from the wrong point of view. Like this whole logical conclusion has a flaw, and it's up to me to find it. But I'm not at my job, here, it's not about getting a client acquitted. There's nothing wrong with adopting Polly and I shouldn't have this feeling gnawing at me, but it does, and it's driving me crazy."

"Maybe you're taking the problem upside down," Maya suggested. "Instead of deciding this is the good choice, maybe you should ask yourself why it could be a bad choice."

Phoenix already tried that, of course, but Maya still had a point. Without knowing the source of his uneasiness, he would never be able to settle down. He tried to voice some of his doubts, "The first reason that would come to mind is his age. He is twenty-four years old now. I'm thirty-six. To be his real father, I'd have to have him at twelve. It doesn't add up."

"Of course it's strange," Maya provided, "but think about Trucy. I'm not that good at math, but when she was born, you were, like, eighteen?"

"Seventeen," supplied Phoenix, knowing by heart the number. "But that's more legitimate, isn't it?"

Maya hummed in approval, but still contradicted him, "But you're still twelve years older. Okay, it may not be that much, but it's still enough to rule out you being his big brother."

Phoenix's heart sunk a little. "And he wouldn't have parents anyway, so it would beat the purpose," he added as an afterthought.

"There's also that," approved Maya knowingly. "So, between a big brother and a father, you're more of a father, right?"

The attorney scratched his cheek while asking a rhetorical question, "Isn't there a third option?" There was a silence as Phoenix tried to think further. Perhaps he had to go deeper than this?

"Why do you want to become his family so much?" Asked earnestly Maya.

"Isn't it obvious?" He immediately answered. "He doesn't have one, and Trucy is his sister, even Athena thought it was a good idea!"

He could notice her playing with her kimono as if she was nervous or sad about something. He didn't muster the strength to look at her face to make out how she really felt, but he understood most of it when she voiced, "You're not considering yourself at all, Nick. You never do."

The truth punched him straight in the face and he stayed a moment shocked. Of course, Maya was right. Phoenix never thought about himself, and even less in the most important choices of his life. As a lawyer, it was a great quality, since it meant he would believe in his client until the bitter end. As a friend, it also meant he would give about anything he could to help the other feeling better.

However, he knew there was another side to this, and it often led to him doing things without thinking them through. Pretty much like when he adopted Trucy. He never regretted doing it, of course, as in retrospect it had been the best choice. Still, he only thought of her and never once stopped to ask himself if he wanted this – or even if he_ could _do it, considering he had lost his job and didn't have that much money to begin with. It turned more than alright in the end, but he could very well have caused even more problems with his rash decision.

All his life, he had done things without asking himself if he wanted it, and he almost jumped and adopted Apollo the same way. "It is strange," he voiced without stopping himself. "Why did I stop this time? What's different?"

After a while, Maya advanced, "You usually don't think because you're sure you're doing the right thing... maybe there was something that made you believe it wasn't the best decision?"

He was getting frustrated: they were going round in circles, only answering questions with more questions. They were getting somewhere, he knew, but this was taking forever. "But why?" He wondered. "Back when I adopted Trucy, I just lost my job and was in no condition to have a child. I never questioned myself back then."

"Because you thought about Trucy," she stated, "and you knew if you didn't take her, nobody would as she had no relatives. She'd have to go to an orphanage and she may never have a family. You being in a bad phase didn't even count in your decision."

She was right, of course. She knew him so well it was almost frightening. He went along, "So you think I sensed there was a problem not with me, but with someone else?"

"It sounds more like you," commented Maya.

He couldn't counter that. However, it still didn't made sense at all. "Let's presume I was thinking about someone else. Who, then? Athena would be delighted, not to mention Trucy. And Polly... he would have a family, right?"

"You don't sound so sure about Apollo," mentioned Maya. "You never told me how he reacted, either."

That was tricky. Phoenix leaned back once more and sighed, before answering, "That's another thing. He was flabbergasted, and that's an understatement. I think he was more surprised than me."

Maya smiled at him – he saw it from the corner of his eyes – and pointed out, "I think we just found the problem!"

Phoenix wanted to contradict her, but he didn't have any argument. "How did you react to him?" She asked before he could try and bluff his way to some other conclusion.

"I told him we could wait for him to decide," he answered, "but I was more thinking about how it was a relief than anything. It doesn't add up with that, does it?"

She grinned like she did back in the days when she had come up with something. Phoenix prepared himself for the blow. "You felt relieved because he was comforted by your support," she explained. "Actually, I'm really sure that, if you can make him decide, you will feel a lot better about all of this."

It actually started to make more sense. Apollo's uneasiness somehow got to him and stopped him from considering it at all. Therefore, should Apollo decide and feel like it's the best decision, Phoenix himself would settle on it.

"And I guess you're feeling old too," Maya added in a lighter tone. "Having a twenty-four year old son is a huge blow."

He nodded, as he already had that thought, but of course that alone could never have made him that nervous. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced he found the truth. Somehow, Apollo had a lot of doubts about this, as proven the second time he asked him if he had found an answer. However, he wasn't against it: he was only lost and insecure.

Apollo's answer was already as clear as day. Phoenix only had to help clear all of his doubts.

"Thank you, Maya, you really saved me!" The attorney smiled at his ex-assistant and thanked her very truthfully. She smacked him on the shoulder while insisting, "That's what friends are for, silly!"

Despite the pain, Phoenix didn't stop smiling and thought, once more, how lucky he was to have Maya as his best friend.

The younger got up suddenly and declared she was so cold she couldn't feel her toes. He knew she was exaggerating, even if he was also quite chilled. They went back to the manor, where they sat in front of a fire. The dinner only came after some time and they ate with the others tenant. Phoenix didn't know them that much, though he recognized some of them, but he still managed to talk.

After that, Maya and him went to his room and they talked until they were so sleepy they couldn't keep their eyes open. Maya asked to sleep in his bed with him, just so she wouldn't have to go back to her room, but he refused quickly and managed to make her go outside. Not that he hated the thought of sharing his bed, but it wasn't proper considering they weren't going out.

Maybe he would have slept better if she stayed, but he didn't want to impose on her either.

His night was short as usual and he woke up way before the sun. He relaxed a while in his bed, knowing full well he had all the time in the world. He thought about how he should talk to Apollo, how to make sure he was okay with all of this. He smiled fondly as a picture of his protege smiling broadly came to his mind.

Now that he had cleared up his doubts, he actually felt quite thrilled about all of this. Adopting Apollo meant he could ask him to live with them without it becoming awkward. The younger already thought of the office as his own home after all. Okay, maybe they were short a bedroom, but they would figure something out. Phoenix was resourceful, wasn't he?

As he turned around in his bed, he pictured them three living together and felt incredibly warm inside. He had already thought before how great it would be for Apollo to live with them, but never dared to entertain the idea so much. Now he could dream about it all he wanted, since it was more conceivable.

Thinking about Apollo as his son still felt weird, but he was sure he would adapt over time. If he could have him even more present in his life, this was only a detail. He intended to make Apollo his family and make him feel so loved he would forget all about orphanages.

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><p><em>So yeah, Phoenix's trying to be mature but he has a long way to go! He went along what I had roughly planned, but I never thought it would turn out that way. But this is cool, it really helps me (though it really doesn't help the Hobopollo).<em>

_Next chapter, we're finally having some interaction between Polly and Phoenix. Brace yourself, it's gonna be a rough ride!_

_So, until next chapter!_


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter actually makes the plot progress! Yay! I'm not sure about all of this, but at least it goes forward. There's a lot of Hobopollo feels in this chapter, which is super cool (it's getting me excited)! I hope you'll like it, even if it's somehow filled with angst (expect even more in the future)._

_Anyway, have a good read!_

* * *

><p>Standing awkwardly in front of the door to the Wright Anything Agency, Apollo suddenly recalled the first time he had wounded up here.<p>

At that time, he had the worse opinion of Phoenix one could ever have. The man had made him use phony evidence in court, not to mention he was the cause for the loss of his job – actually, Kristoph was the source of it all, but it was easier at the time to pin everything on Phoenix. So he really, really didn't want to work for him.

However, he needed a job, and after the fiasco that had been his first trial, nobody wanted to hire him. He had won, that should count for something, but the attorneys he met were more afraid he'd have them accused, like it was a personal hobby of his. The more sympathetic of them had no use for a new attorney in their cabinet or simply didn't want to get affiliated with Wright's name.

It was the worst part: somewhere along the line, Justice's name became a package with Wright's one. All of Apollo's misfortunes came from his unfortunate encounter with the man that had ruined his life in one single trial. It was oh so ironic he actually had to go to that one man to ask for a job he already refused.

Getting back in the present, Apollo cleared his throat and brought his hand towards the handle. He had no problem getting in last week, even if he hadn't decided on anything, but this Monday morning, it seemed like the hardest hurdle he ever came across.

With a sigh, he managed to drop his hand and actually open the door. While in the process of opening it, he stopped in his tracks and stood even more awkwardly in the middle of his action. For a second or two, he was remembered his habit to call "I'm home!" while entering the office. Which seemed a strange thing to do right now. Because, the adoption, and all that...

That annoyed him and he returned to his task. He finally closed the door behind him and scanned the room, only to realize Phoenix was sitting on the couch. Looking right at him. Like he was waiting for him or something.

Apollo felt his cheeks getting warmer as he wondered what he should say. Phoenix was obviously expecting him to say his usual greeting. He opened his mouth, closed it, only to reopen it and throw, like his life depended on it, "I'm home!"

Phoenix seemed startled – he had kind of screamed that –, but he smiled quickly enough and answered back. Apollo busied himself with his shoes and his coat so it wouldn't become too awkward.

Now in his suit only, he stepped inside the room, seriously hoping they had a case. Of course, he knew very well they didn't; otherwise, Phoenix would be in his office, or would at least work. He was so obviously free Apollo didn't even need to ask.

Still, in an attempt to make small talk, he enquired, "So, um, no case I guess?"

Phoenix chuckled, in that ambiguous tone of his, before answering, "Nope, Polly. Nothing in the horizon." No surprise there. Apollo wished he had come later, but he hadn't even thought about it this morning and woke up at the same time as usual. Maybe he should make a habit of coming later. Like the time Athena came in. That seemed more normal.

Phoenix laughed in an even more teasing tone before starting to pick on him, "You're planning on standing there all day, Polly?"

The blush from earlier came back and he looked over to his armchair, very much intent on sitting as far away from Phoenix as possible. Right now, the man seemed dangerous, for whatever reason.

Anyway, Apollo made his way towards his chair, only to be stopped mid-way. Of course, he had to walk in front of his boss, so the boss in question grabbed his wrist. Before Apollo could protest or start to struggle, the older man asked, very softly, "Polly, can we talk a little?"

The younger had a bad feeling about this, but there was nowhere to go. Phoenix _was _his boss, after all, and even if he did protest against him often, he couldn't really refuse such a direct order. Not to mention that, for once, the spikey-haired man hadn't been sly about all of this.

Apollo still glanced towards him, only to notice he had a very serious expression. The bad feeling he had went full throttle. Now he was certain something was wrong. Was it about the adoption? Or was it something else entirely? Had Apollo done something he shouldn't have? Was he fired?

Phoenix let go of his wrist, but Apollo understood this only meant he expected him to sit down besides him. The younger did as much, though he kept some distance between them. Staring at his hands, his bracelet tightening by his own nervousness, he asked, "What's wrong, Boss?"

Phoenix leaned back and tried to lighten the mood, "Don't worry, Polly, there's nothing wrong with you." Some of Apollo's nervousness took off, but he couldn't relax yet. He didn't say anything, waiting for his boss to speak up.

"Are you still having doubts about the adoption?" Phoenix finally began. Of course, it had to be about this peculiar subject. Apollo stayed silent, wondering how he could go around it once more. He did have all the weekend to think about it, so it couldn't be a reason anymore. And even though he leaned more towards saying no, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Not like this. Not to him.

"I thought about it," went on the older man. "I mean, this weekend. And it's finally starting to make more sense to me." Oh, Apollo really didn't like were this was going. Still, he didn't want to interrupt his boss, so he let him continue, "I know the office already feels like a home to you. I think it's only legitimate for it to become your real home."

Apollo didn't see it coming at all. Facing for the first time his mentor, he gave him an incredulous look before asking, "Are you seriously asking me to move here?" Phoenix smiled sheepishly, but he assured him nonetheless, "Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm doing."

Apollo had so much to say he didn't even know where to begin. One part of him wanted to accept on the spot, and screw the consequences, while another one wanted to refuse and get out of there as fast as possible. He had never even once thought about moving here, as he had deemed it impossible to begin with. It wasn't even something he could imagine. But it only felt right, now that Phoenix said it, and it made him wonder why he hadn't thought about it before.

The first reaction he had, however, was to point out the obvious, "But there's not enough bedrooms!"

"I've thought that too," Phoenix admitted, running a hand through his own hair, "and I decided I could leave you my room and use the office. You know, the couch actually opens in a double bed. Not that comfortable, but I'll get used to it."

Frantically searching for another contradiction, the red-suited attorney argued, "You can't sleep in the office! That's where we meet clients, right?"

"Polly," answered the older man, laughing, "I'll only need to tidy up in the morning. It's nothing impossible."

He wasn't a pro at tidying up in the first case, but Apollo pointed out something else, "It's already packed enough in here, if I brought over my things, it'll be impossible!"

"I know you don't have much," insisted the boss. "Come on, Polly, you know these are only details." Huge details, if one asked him. But, well, Phoenix had a point. If they wanted to, they could come up with something. It didn't mean Apollo should accept right away though.

"This is so sudden... I..." Before he could find another argument, Phoenix grabbed his shoulders and looked him intently in the eyes. Apollo was made to realize once more how his boss really wasn't some kind of hobo or carefree man. He was a senior attorney, a man with willpower and a habit of convincing people, a man that lived by his convictions more than anyone else.

After giving him enough time to adjust and look back at him, Phoenix told him, "We want you here, Trucy and I. We really love you and care for you."

Moved beyond words, Apollo searched for any form of lie in his confession, only to conclude there wasn't. His bracelet wasn't pinching him and Phoenix didn't have an ounce of hesitation on his face. Apollo blinked, strangely feeling his eyes prickling, and wondered why he felt so overwhelmed and happy right now.

Someone wanted him. For the first time, a family wanted to adopt him.

All of his childhood and some of his teenage years, he had waited for this. For someone to come to him and tell him they wanted to adopt him. But nobody ever came, and after years and years of vain waiting, Apollo had gave up entirely. He had gotten too old to be adopted anymore, so it felt pointless to cling to it.

He thought, at least, that he had left it all behind, and that he had accepted he'd have to create himself a family if he were to have one. He was nowhere near ready to have kids, but sometimes he thought it would be great in the distant future. It was the only mean to ever experience the concept that was so foreign to him. Not that he never considered anyone as family, but he had never lived with them, had never officially acknowledged the relationship as such. Most of all, he never had a place to call home.

Phoenix's proposition brought back some feelings he had hidden deep inside him, hoping to forget them all.

A smile crept on his face as he fought back the tears, unable to think of what to answer to that kind of declaration. What was he even supposed to say? That he also loved them very much? That he wanted to call that place home more than anything? That he never felt so accepted before?

Words were swirling in his mind as he brusquely turned around, leaving Phoenix's tight hold. The older man didn't fight back and let him curl up on the couch. Apollo knew he was somehow overreacting, that he should be saying something, maybe "of course I knew it" or "this doesn't mean you should adopt me" or even "I care about you two about as much", but he had a knot down his throat.

After a while of awkward silence, as Apollo's head filled with words he wanted to say but couldn't muster the strength to utter, Phoenix finally made a move towards him and attempted to pat his back.

This threw Apollo out of his daze and he suddenly stood up, so quickly he nearly passed out. When he recovered, he noticed Phoenix had gotten up too, as if to provide him support in case he fainted. The older was looking at him with concern now, showing full well just how much Apollo had became important to him and Apollo thought, wow, when had they become so close? Where along the line did he start to consider Phoenix as family?

He wanted to agree, so much it hurt. He clenched his hand at his heart only to realize how fast it was beating. Why was he feeling like this? He never felt so emotional before, if you excluded the times he fell in love.

Before even understanding what was going on, he darted towards the door. Phoenix made no attempt to stop him, surely too surprised to react in time. Apollo flew the door right open only to meet, unexpectedly, Athena on the other side. The woman looked up, about as startled as he was, but as soon as she saw him, her face eased in a smile.

She was opening her mouth, about to say something, when Apollo, without so much as a warning, pushed her slightly to the side so he could go outside. The girl shouted at him, but he didn't listen and started to run.

At least he had remembered to put on his shoes, but he had forgot his coat. However, as long as he was running, he didn't feel that much the cold. He wouldn't care less even if he did, though.

Why had he escaped? Even he couldn't understand what had brought this up. This was what he had wanted for so long now. It was perfect. Phoenix loved him, and Trucy too, and he would have a home, and they would be happy...

Exhausted, he finally stumbled upon a park, somewhere really far from both his apartment and the office. He made his way for a bench and sat down, trying to catch his breath. Nothing made sense anymore. Him being there wasn't making sense _at all_.

After having repressed them for so long, his tears started to fall down. This was so wrong on so many levels. Why was he like that? How he wished he could be someone better, someone to actually look up to, and not some coward that couldn't even appreciate his own happiness.

He was fine, he told himself. He had to be fine!

"Herr Forehead?" A sense of dread washed over him as he looked up only to meet Klavier's eyes. Of course, he had to have his breakdown in front of his rival. Could things get even worse?

Klavier's startled expression morphed into concern as he neared him and asked, "Something's wrong, Herr Forehead?"

"Nothing of your concern, Prosecutor Gavin," Apollo snapped, before attempting to clean his face. Somehow, that name stirred even more shame and sadness in him as it remembered him of his first mentor. He really needed to think about something else. This was a dangerous zone.

Klavier dropped down graciously besides him and Apollo studied him from the corner of his eyes. He was, as usual, wearing fancy clothes and leather and all you should expect from a retired band's singer. His expression was more relaxed now, as if he was enjoying some quality time with a friend. Except, he wasn't with a friend, and this really couldn't be called quality time.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Apollo asked with even more resentment.

Klavier chuckled lightly and admitted, without an ounce of shame, "_Ja_, but I still have time as I don't have a case yet."

Great, it didn't manage to make him go away. Did God have something against him or what? Cursing his luck, he bite back, "Just leave me alone."

The prosecutor clicked his tongue in disapproval. "No can do, Herr Forehead," he offered in a warmth tone. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong." Maybe, in some alternate universe, Apollo would be touched by this show of friendship. Now, though, he only felt annoyed. He wanted to be alone, to wallow in self-depreciation, no matter how unhealthy it sounded. Why couldn't he let him be?

"Nothing's wrong," muttered the younger.

"It doesn't take your gift to tell you're lying, Herr Forehead."

Apollo got frustrated and shouted with more conviction, "I'm fine, thank you very much!"

Klavier had the nerve to _laugh_ and Apollo seriously considered kicking him. The prosecutor could at least pretend not to be so egocentric and actually empathic! Not that he needed any pity either...

"Sure," pipped in the musician. "You sound as fine as a guitar out of tune." Music metaphors to top it all! Seething, the attorney got up and affirmed, "I'm out of here."

The prosecutor, though, grabbed his wrist – seriously, what with people that day – without getting up. Apollo wondered when he came close enough to be in his range. "Stay a while longer and let's rock!" Klavier suggested, showing him his million watt grin. Apollo complained and struggled to no avail. Klavier's grip only tightened and he made him sit down again. "I will keep you here until you admit what's wrong," he admitted.

This got Apollo going, as he shouted to the top of his lungs, "It has nothing to do with you! Now let go!"

"Does it have to do with Herr Wright?" Klavier hinted, still smiling.

The attorney immediately deflated, as his fight with Phoenix – was it really a fight? It was pretty one-sided after all – came back to mind. Stunned by his power of deduction, Apollo wondered softly, "How did you know?"

"I didn't until you told me yourself, Herr Forehead," Klavier confessed, smiling with confidence. "For someone that doesn't want to talk, you sure are cooperative." How much did this guy want to get punched? Ashamed by his slip-up, the red-suited attorney blushed a little and looked to the side. Clearly not satisfied, Klavier pressed him even more, "Did he do or say something to you?"

Apollo blushed even more as he remembered Phoenix's confession, and a bubbly feeling rose in his chest. Shame came in the same package, leaving him pretty messed up. He could feel the prosecutor staring at him, as if to unveil his secret by the sheer power of his eyes.

Apollo sighed: clearly, he wasn't getting out of this now. Though he didn't want to tell him everything – the prosecutor still didn't know about Trucy being his sister after all –, he still decided to tell him a little, "He said something to me that was... a little too much, and I didn't know how to react, so I just, freaked out, I guess." 'Like a loser', he added in his head. He wouldn't say it out loud though, he was embarrassed enough as it was.

Klavier seemed somehow satisfied by his answer. "See," he nodded, "that wasn't difficult at all, _ja_?" Klavier would be such a better person if he was just a little less arrogant. As if to make amend for his own remark, the prosecutor went on, "I don't know what Herr Wright told you – and I suppose you won't tell me –, but I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Apollo looked over to his rival and realized Klavier thought his boss had said something hurtful to him – it was obvious with how he had phrased that. He was so wrong about it Apollo couldn't help but chuckle.

The prosecutor looked at him funnily, of course not understanding what he was laughing about. Apollo calmed down pretty quickly and explained, "Well, I'm sure Boss meant every word he said. Remember my ability?" And to prove his point, he showed him his bracelet. Klavier frowned at it as if it had offended him personally, and Apollo felt like giggling – it felt so nice having the upper hand for once. He stopped himself though and settled for a smile.

Klavier seemed to look for something else to say to him until he came up with, "Then maybe he was exaggerating a little?" The attorney shook his head, still amused. Klavier pouted a little, so Apollo, having let his guard down pretty much by now, revealed, "Actually, he said he loved me."

There was a long, really long silence, soon filled with awkwardness. This had come out so wrong Apollo didn't even know how to begin to correct himself. While blushing madly, he attempted, "No, I mean, as family, of course... not as, you know, romantically..."

Klavier finally beamed at him, with so much confidence Apollo knew it couldn't be good. "Achtung! He confessed his love to you and you were so happy you didn't know how to answer, so you ran away!"

Oh god, he was so done for. Klavier had made something up in his mind and had decided it was the truth, and Apollo knew nothing he would say could persuade him otherwise. The worst of it all was that, if you removed the part about love, it matched pretty much what happened. Phoenix confessed his _perfectly platonic_ feelings to Apollo and the latter had exploded with emotions.

Upon feeling ashamed and sad and perfectly screwed up, now he felt exasperated and depressed about Klavier's "discovery". The prosecutor added insult to injury, "If it's matter of the heart, I'll help you!"

Could this get worse? Scratch that, it always did anyway. Apollo panicked and asked of his rival, "Please, Prosecutor Gavin, just... don't do anything. I mean, I don't need any help. I'm fine! And it wasn't what you think, anyway!"

Klavier only smiled, of course, and Apollo prayed to any God that heard him that he wouldn't screw up everything. Not that there was much to screw anymore... he wondered for the first time how Phoenix took it all. Has it been a huge blow? Did he think Apollo hated him? Was he mad at him for making such a scene?

Was he sad?

The prosecutor must have sensed his sadness, because he assured him with a bright smile, "Don't fear, Herr Forehead, everything will end well. I'll make sure of that."

Apollo doubted it. "I already said it wasn't like that...!" He exclaimed, more out of exasperation than anything. Of course, the prosecutor didn't hear him.

He got up and, while bidding him farewell, he assured him, "I must get to my job for now, but I'll get in touch with you in no time!"

And with that, he was gone. Apollo's protest went once more unheard and he slumped on the bench. What a shitty day. Maybe he should just go to bed and sleep all his worries away. It wouldn't help, but maybe it'd give him enough time to think about what he should do.

With that in mind, he got up and walked towards his apartment. It took a little less than an hour, in which he tried to make more sense of everything. He supposed that first he'd have to apologize to his boss. No matter how he looked at it, everything was his own fault. But after that...

After that, he'd have to accept. There was no other way around. He couldn't decline, not after Phoenix's confession, not after all he said. Apollo still wasn't sure about everything, and he pretty much didn't want to change his name, not to mention he didn't want Phoenix as a father...

What he did want for sure was to live with the Wrights and to have their love. If the only way to achieve this goal was to get adopted, then he didn't have much of a choice, did he?

When he reached his building, he was almost calmed down and thought he could actually take a nap. However, fate seemed to have other plans, as he found one Phoenix Wright leaning against his door, obviously waiting for him.

It really wasn't his day.

* * *

><p><em>And this is it! I'm not even sorry about this cliffhanger!<em>

_I don't really like Klavier (and fanfics tend to make me like him even less), but I figured I'd have to make him appear at some point because, hey, he's Apollo's rival, sort of. I guess he pretty much came out of nowhere, but well, what can I say? I couldn't let Apollo wallow in self-pity, that wouldn't be really interesting and wouldn't make the plot progress at all. So yeah... I tried to make him somehow lovable, while still insisting on his traits, and it worked for me, so let's hope it was the same for you!_

_Until next chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Someone kindly pointed out in a review that I messed up the dialogues pretty badly. I'm sorry, guys, I was so used to write in French I never even realized I wasn't quoting as I should in English (though it was so obvious...). I read tutorials and compared with some English texts, so I think I got the gist of it now. Of course, I went back to the last chapters and corrected them all (I also spotted small mistakes along the way, so I corrected that too). I didn't change anything to the story, though, so you don't have to go back to read it. Hopefully it will be better now. I'm sorry for that and I hope it's all okay now!_

_I'll take this opportunity to tell you that, if you see anything that seems out of place, feel free to tell me! I sadly don't have a beta and I'm all by myself (not to mention I've written so much in French my brain seems to have a hard time to adjust), so I'm bound to make some mistakes, small or huge (like this one). I won't feel offended, far from it. I'm actually looking for that kind of feedback, so I can improve!_

_As for this chapter... Because of last chapter and mainly Klavier, I couldn't help but see innuendos every time Phoenix talks about feelings. Let me remind you (and me) that, at this point, all he feels for Apollo is "purely platonic", as mentioned in the previous chapter. Romance won't come before some time yet, so even though Phoenix feels strongly for Apollo, still take it as family's kind of love. Please don't get your hopes high yet. _

_Sorry for the ramble! I still hope you'll enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

><p>Phoenix really didn't know where it had gone wrong. One second, Apollo seemed happy to the point of crying – his declaration couldn't have been so unexpected, could it? –, and the next, he was running away. What just happened? He thought he had everything under control, that he had finally convinced him, but everything suddenly turned so wrong he still had a hard time believing it.<p>

He finally snapped out of his stupor when Athena poked him on the arm. She had been talking to him for some time apparently, but he heard nothing at all. Come to think of it, since when was she standing in front of him? "Boss," he finally heard her say, "what's going on with Polly?"

The older opened his mouth, but nothing came to mind and he finally closed it again. Still in a daze, he fell on the couch and buried his face in his hands. What was Apollo's reaction all about? Was he supposed to go out and run after him? To say what? He had meant everything he said and Apollo ought to know it, with his ability, so he couldn't take it back – not to mention he didn't want to. Was that even the point?

He noted the girl took place where Apollo had sat and it managed to bring him back a little more in reality. He finally noticed she seemed concerned and a little panicked, too. She didn't know what happened and certainly presumed it must have been something bad.

Her worry made him try to calm down and inhale as deeply as he could. Knowing he couldn't stay silent forever, he voiced his confusion, "I... I don't know what just happened."

The woman look at him with even more confusion. "What do you mean, Boss?" She asked in a soft voice.

He cleared his throat as he looked for something to say, for some way to explain so it made sense. But he couldn't find anything and finally decided to summarize everything that happened, "Polly and I, we were talking, you know, about the adoption, and I, um, well... this weekend, you see, I thought about it and talked with Maya. Ah, I should have said that first..."

He was even more flustered, as if he were in court trying to come up with an explanation without the time to think it through. His subordinate stayed still, patiently waiting for him to gather his thoughts. "So yeah," he went on, "I talked with Maya and I realized that I wanted to, you know, have him live with us. I thought, since he already think of the office as his home, it only makes sense to have him here. And the adoption, well, it seemed like a good pretext to finally suggest it. Because it won't be weird if we're a real family, right?"

He paused as he was trying to find the right words to explain the rest. He finally came up with something, "I tried to discuss it with him this morning, and he was arguing about details like how we don't have enough bedrooms and whatnot, so in the end I... I grabbed him and told him I wanted him to live here, with Trucy and I, and that we love him very much."

This seemed like a good time to stop and look at Athena. She was thoughtful, as if trying to understand how it had come to this conclusion. Phoenix figured he might as well finish so she could have the bigger picture, "At first, he look deeply moved and happy. I even thought he would be crying! He didn't say anything, so I let him time to process what I said. I guess it came more as a surprise as I had thought. I was sure it was pretty clear by now that I like him very much, but it's true I never really said it."

"I waited for a reply," he finished, "but none came, so I thought I might snap him out of it and patted his back. He startled so much I draw back, and he got up abruptly. I stood up also, feeling a sense of urgency, and before I knew it, he was rushing out the door."

They stayed silent for a moment as Phoenix studied Athena, wondering if she had come up with something. She was a psychologist, after all; maybe she could understand why Apollo had ran away. Sure enough, a look of understanding flashed in her eyes and she finally said, "I think I know what happened." Hope surged through him as he exclaimed, "Really?"

She nodded and leaned back a little as she tried to explain. "It might not be 100% accurate," she began, "but I think I know why Polly ran away. He grew up in an orphanage, and, well, you know how he never had a family. He might have had a close friend, but he never really had a place to belong to. The Agency became the one place he related to the most in the past years, so it makes sense that he'd be moved by your suggestion. I am pretty sure he wants this about as much as you do."

Phoenix looked at her with even more surprise: he knew all of this, of course, but it didn't explain anything at all. It even contradicted some of the facts!

"But the human mind isn't as simple as that," she went on, smiling sadly. "Polly never had a family. I think that, at one point, he had given up on ever having one. I'm pretty sure he even gave up on romantic relationship as well – but that's only my conjecture. So right now he must think this is too good to be true. Not to mention how he was betrayed at least twice, so I think he has trust issues. He also lacks some self-confidence, even if he makes a good job of hiding it behind his loud voice and his sarcasm."

She didn't add anything and Phoenix went back to study his hands, trying to process everything. It made sense. It made lots of sense, actually. Phoenix had already noticed how the kid wasn't as confident as he made it sound – after all, his Chords of Steel's trainings were more of a way to gather strength than anything.

He felt insecure and didn't think he deserved what was happening to him, which made Phoenix sad. From his point of view, Apollo had every right to be more than fine and actually happy. Why couldn't he see it himself?

Phoenix made his resolve right away and got up. "I'm going to look for him," he informed Athena.

She tried to warn him, "He might not want to see you for now, you know." But Phoenix faced her with a sad smile and told her the truth, "Maybe, but I just can't leave him alone. He's my family, you know."

Athena smiled back and, with a peace sign, she assured him, "I'll stay here to welcome clients, then!" He smiled fondly at her, wondering what he would do without her, and went to the door.

Once outside, he suddenly realized he didn't even know where to look. Come to think of it, even if they knew each other for so long, they never met much outside of work, if you forgot investigations and end of cases' dinner. He should change this fact, among other things. Maybe they could go to a museum? Come to think of it, did Apollo enjoy art? Maybe he was more the cinema type?

He looked into People Park, walked near the office and Apollo's apartment while reflecting on how much he took Apollo for granted. He should have made it clearer before just how much he enjoyed his company. He should have tried harder to bound with him. He should have shown him sooner just how much he wanted to be a part of his life.

After some time, getting frustrated, he decided he might as well wait for him in front of his apartment. He was bound to come back at some point, wasn't he? He knocked at the door, but wasn't surprised when no answer came back. Surely the kid was still outside, doing whatever he was doing.

As he leaned on the door, Phoenix was made to realize how little he actually came here. In total, he might have come around five times, maybe even less. The kid didn't seem to like his own place and, well, Phoenix always assumed he'd come over, so he had no reason to make it here. He sure hoped he wouldn't have to come anymore, which would happen if Apollo came to live with him.

He waited for a long time, but couldn't say if it was really that long or just appeared as such. He tried to think of what he should say, but he wasn't a pro at planning ahead of time and knew he'd go with his guts anyway. Still, it couldn't hurt to try and find at least a way to breach the subject.

Finally, Apollo stumbled about and stopped some feet from him, looking at him with surprise and despair all the same. Phoenix tried to act casual, hoping it would make things less awkward. "I thought you'd come back here," he explained, "so I decided to wait for you."

Apollo stayed still for a while longer and Phoenix wondered if he'd run away once more. The kid, though, finally chuckled without joy. "I can't get away from this, can I?" He voiced bitterly. Phoenix never wanted him to feel so cornered, but he couldn't deny he wouldn't go away even if he was asked to. So he stayed silent and stared intently at him. Apollo finally made a move and came closer so he could open the door.

They entered the small apartment without saying anything, and Apollo motioned him to his couch. The older sat down silently and looked at the bare room that reeked of loneliness.

After some time, Apollo brought two coffees that he settled on the small table. Phoenix thanked him in but a whisper and took his own mug. The younger settled down next to him, close enough he could feel his arm – the couch was so small he couldn't sit farther away.

After a silence filled with awkwardness, Apollo finally blurted out, so loud it made the older's ears ring, "I'm sorry, Boss!"

He seemed sincere enough, but the absurdity of the situation made Phoenix chuckled. He immediately sensed the younger tensing up besides him and he quickly added, "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just... you really have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be the one saying sorry. I brought it up too quickly, I guess it's only natural you'd freak out."

Apollo looked at him from below, with an earnest expression, and Phoenix couldn't help but notice how young he looked. He had a hopeful expression mixed with fear that made Phoenix's heart flutter. It stirred up a surge of protectiveness in him, as well as a sense of responsibility.

"So..." Apollo said softly, looking like he couldn't believe it, "you're not mad at me?"

Phoenix laughed some more. The kid was so adorable he couldn't help but ruffle his hair. Apollo tried to protest, but his cheeks were becoming a little red with embarrassment. Oh god, how cute could he get?

The older smiled broadly and decided it was time to make etiquette go to hell. Without warning, he engulfed the younger in his arms and hugged him tightly. Apollo stayed still for a while, surely too surprised to say anything, but after some time, he gripped his back awkwardly.

They stayed silent for some time, enjoying their warmth. Phoenix wondered why he never did it before. He really should have. It felt great, showing how much he cared for him and having it reciprocated. Hugs really were the best.

"I really love you, you know," the older whispered without letting him go yet. "I hope you'll trust me on that."

Apollo buried himself more in his torso, as if to hide his expression from him, and Phoenix chuckled tenderly. No answer came, but he didn't need one anyway. He knew full well his feelings were reciprocated.

They finally let go, but Apollo's cheeks stayed red. They didn't talk for a long time, only sipping coffee, until the younger finally affirmed with conviction, "I'll do it."

Phoenix looked at him with hope and asked, "The adoption, you mean?"

The younger nodded. "I'll move in with you and become your son," he clarified. "If you're still okay with it, of course."

Phoenix beamed and assured him, "Of course, Polly! I'm so glad you accepted!"

They looked at each other before both laughed. It finally came to it. Phoenix almost couldn't believe it. To think last week he had dreaded it so much, and now it was finally starting to become more official! He couldn't help but smile like a big idiot.

"Maybe we should go back to the Agency," Apollo commented after some time.

Phoenix looked at his watch and noticed it was past one o-clock. His stomach growled as well, informing both of them how hungry he was. "Yeah, we should get something to eat too," he answered sheepishly. While getting up, the younger agreed and mentioned he'd very much enjoy ramen. Phoenix suggested they got some at Eldoon's to give to Athena as well, to thank her properly.

They finally got outside and walked side by side. They only talked of this and that with lots of silences in-between subjects. Phoenix was too distracted right now to maintain a conversation anyway. He was only thinking of how they should re-arrange the office, how they would get accustomed to living together. He wondered what Apollo's habits were, if he was a deep sleeper like his sister or if he was as difficult in the mornings as her.

He also couldn't help but steal glances at him, while trying hard not to be spotted. It wasn't an easy task, but being an ex-poker player helped a lot. That's how he noticed the kid seemed pretty chilled – he had forgotten his coat back at the Agency, if his memory served him right. Phoenix toyed with the idea of proposing him his own coat, but finally decided against it. He very much could picture him getting annoyed and that's something he wanted to avoid for now.

They stopped by People's park and got three ramen to go. As usual, Mr Eldoon made them a discount, as Apollo had saved him from a guilty verdict. Apollo still flushed a little, but accepted nonetheless, and with that, they were ready to go home.

Soon enough, they reached the office's vicinity. Without consulting each other, they slowed down a little bit. Phoenix was trying to come up with something to say before they reached the door. He blurted out, "So, do you wanna tell it now?"

Apollo shrugged before agreeing, "Yeah, sure. I mean, it's gonna happen, so we might as well get it done with."

They became quiet once more as they were now at the door to the building. They entered in silence and walked up the stairs to the Agency. Apollo somehow doubled Phoenix and, without further ado, entered the office.

Phoenix followed suit and couldn't help but notice Athena had jumped on her feet. Apparently, she had been sitting on the couch waiting for them both. She smiled awkwardly, still trying to find out if everything went alright. Apollo, as usual, shouted his "I'm home!", so Phoenix mumbled the same after him with a grin.

Athena's face eased as she seemed to realize they weren't upset anymore and she answered with a bright "Welcome back!". They got out of their winter wear and promptly joined Athena, Phoenix on her left while Apollo took back his armchair. Phoenix placed the ramen on the table. "Since we have something good to celebrate," he announced, "I thought we could get some noodles!"

"I was the one who said it first," grumbled Apollo.

Athena didn't listen to him, though, as she exclaimed, "Yay! Thank you, Boss!"

He smiled warmly at her and his smile morphed into a sly grin as he looked over Apollo, who was annoyed at not getting thanked. Soon enough, the three of them were eating. "So I take it everything's fine now?" Athena asked to make sure.

Phoenix hummed in approval as Apollo explained, "Yeah, I'm gonna live here. And become a Wright I guess."

Athena beamed and even clapped her hands in excitement. Apollo's statement, though, made Phoenix think of something, "I just thought about it, but, Polly, you could keep your last name if you prefer it that way." Apollo looked bewildered while Athena looked more thoughtful. "I mean," he went on before any of them could voice their doubts, "Edgeworth was adopted by Von Karma and he still kept his name!"

'Fortunately', he very much wanted to add. Competing with a Miles Von Karma would certainly have been the death of him. The prosecutor himself must have thought how lucky he was to have avoided that name, in retrospect at least.

It was Apollo's time to be thoughtful as he said, "Yeah, it's true that you can keep your name even though you're adopted, but I've always thought it kind of beat the purpose? If you're about to change family, it only makes sense you change family names as well."

"Maybe," suggested Athena, "you could change name legally but still be called Justice in trials? There wouldn't be any problems that way!"

Apollo seemed to like the idea, as his face lightened up. Phoenix eased as well, happy with this proposition, and he nudged gently at Athena. "That's a great idea, Thena!" He praised her.

The girl smiled with confidence as she went on, "Anyway, everyone knows you as Apollo Justice! Come to think of it, where does that come from? Was that your father's last name?"

Apollo's smile died and he took a bite – making Phoenix remember they were still eating and prompting him to do as well –, before answering, in a more serious tone, "When I was younger, I had another surname, but it felt kinda wrong. Family names are, well, _family_ names, and mine had abandoned me. So I thought I might as well change it to something cool. I pestered the people in charge of me so much they gave in and paid for it. Clay laughed at me when I told him, but he also said that this way, 'justice' would be like my family. I guess it wasn't his, as he was killed without any meaning."

The young attorney stopped talking and his head hung low, surely thinking back to some awful memories. Although Phoenix knew how much Clay's death had took a toll on him, Apollo never really talked about it. Even when it had just happened, he never confided in him or cried in front of him. Phoenix had tried, more than once, to make him realize he could help him, but he had never sought out his support.

The more he had done would be very much like right now, saying without thinking some anecdotes about his friend and making such a sad face. But then, quickly enough not to make them worry, he would put a fake smile on his face and change subject, so they wouldn't have to witness his grief.

This time, though, before he had the time to compose himself, Athena, looking a little dejected, tried to lighten the mood. "I just realized everyone in the Agency except Boss lost at least one of his parents," she pointed out. "That's some strange coincidence, right?" She laughed after that, trying to sound stronger than she was. It was a very Athena-like way to react.

"Actually," Phoenix objected without thinking, "you're wrong."

Both of the younger turned towards him quickly. "I know you adopted Trucy," Apollo tried to say, "but she still lost her father..."

"That's not what I meant," he argued. This time, they seemed to understand: Athena gasped, while Apollo looked intently at him – trying to pick up lies, even now? Phoenix would have laughed if it was any other occasion. Now, though, he leaned back, forgetting his noodles, and admitted, "I never told you, did I? Truce knows, though."

"What are you talking about, Boss?" Athena asked in a soft voice.

Phoenix chuckled, without much joy, and closed his eyes. Come to think of it, it was the first time he talked about it, wasn't it? Except for Maya, but she knew what was going on anyway. This was more difficult than he would have anticipated.

"Well, my parents are..." he fumbled, "_were_ not really, you know, easy people to live with. They would often scold me about my life style, saying I should make a better living. But what broke everything, I guess, is when they learned I had lost my badge and adopted Trucy, to boot. They never accepted it." He paused to exhale and inhale, trying to calm himself. He never liked thinking back about it. It always stirred up bad feelings in him.

"They both came to the Agency and scolded me like I was a five years old. Not for the first time, I fought back, until they were both so fed up they decided to disown me. I guess I had that coming. Though it pained me, I had no choice but to accept anyway. What I couldn't know was that I'd never have the chance to make amend..."

He chuckled once more, with more despair though, as shame and guilt came back to him. There was a lot about himself he wasn't proud of, but what he was about to say came easily in the top five. "It was stupid death," he finally admitted. "They were in a car accident. You know, something so common it feels like there's no meaning. Their inheritance went to my relatives, as I had no other siblings.

He felt like he had said enough and mustered the strength to open back his eyes, looking at his understudies. Both seemed serious and sad, now that the surprise was gone. If anything, they looked like they could relate very well in their own way.

Phoenix laughed to lighten the mood. "At least" he alleviated his confession, "I have known them! And it's not like they ever mistreated me, so I guess I'm even kind of lucky."

Apollo suddenly looked like he had so much anger he couldn't contain it and he growled, gritting his teeth, "I don't understand how parents could abandon their children."

This managed to bring everyone down as they had no way to counter that. Coming from Apollo, it felt even more genuine. He of all people knew very well what it felt like to be abandoned.

Phoenix didn't try to talk anymore and went back to his noodles, wishing they could come back to a safer topic. They stayed silent for a while before Athena asked, trying really hard to appear laid-back, "Have you thought about how you're gonna organize the Agency with Polly?"

Phoenix took the opportunity immediately as he exposed his plan, "It's pretty simple, actually. I'm gonna sleep on the couch in the office. You know how it opens in a bed? That'll be perfect!"

Apollo, now calmed down, countered, "I've thought about that too and I wonder, shouldn't I take the office? It'd be simpler that way, no?"

Phoenix shook his head and pointed out, "No, you're a young adult and you need your room. Truce is a teenager so it goes without saying. I'm the old man here, I don't need privacy anymore."

"It's not like I'd be sleeping in the living-room," argued the younger. "Moreover, I'm accustomed to having no privacy."

"The more reason to give you more now," Phoenix shot back. "Anyway, there's no arguing: my mind is already set."

Apollo seemed like he wanted to argue some more – did he really have to contradict everything he said? –, but before he could do so, Athena intervened, "You heard the Boss, Polly! Just accept his kindness, will you?"

The kid blushed out of embarrassment and he finally grumbled, "I never have a choice anyway...!"

Phoenix flashed him a smile and Apollo finally sent him one too. They finished eating in a good chatter while Athena brought up everything that would change at the Agency. As soon as they were done, the woman got up and decided to start planning everything. The two other lawyers went along and argued about what should be put where and other details.

No matter how many times Apollo told them he wouldn't move in right away as he still had the leash on his apartment for some months, they still began to organize things. Athena only suggested he could move sooner and rent his apartment or let it vacant. While it made sense, Apollo still argued because he couldn't help himself. However, it was pretty clear he would give up at some point.

Eventually, Trucy came home, and when she asked what was going on, Athena stole the spotlight as she announced, "Polly has accepted the adoption! He's gonna come live here with you!"

Trucy looked like she couldn't believe it for one second, before she darted towards her big brother to give him the biggest hug she could ever produce. Apollo hugged her back with a warm smile and Phoenix's heart melted at the sight. He promptly neared them and ruffled both of their hair while laughing stupidly. Apollo tried to protest, but Trucy merely laughed some more while incorporating her daddy in the hug.

Phoenix realized they were already a family.

* * *

><p><em>Soooo... there's a lot in this chapter and there are some things I didn't want to tell that early (mainly about Phoenix's parents), but well... I hope you liked the fluff at the end! Them being a cute family is just so awesome!<em>

_Ah yeah, it will still be Phoenix/Apollo, don't fear. It will only be, shall we say, a little complicated. But that's what's making it interesting, right?_

_Okay, until next chapter!_


	8. Chapter 8

_I wasn't sure what I should talk about after last chapter, so I thought, hey, Athena is a major character in this story and she doesn't have a chapter yet, so maybe I should do her POV now! Since the issue for the adoption is settled, it seemed like a good timing to bring her in. If you haven't understood by now, yes, I intend to stray a lot from the Hobopollo. I'm not even sorry._

_While I'm talking about her, I've been wondering for a while now if I should make her fall in love at some point. The truth is, I had a ship in mind, but I'm not sure how it could ever come around since the other character, well... isn't exactly easy to make appear in a justified way (so yeah it is an unusual pairing, I think at least). Sooo, if you have a ship you'd like to see with her... care to share? I'm not sure if it will happen, but I'd like to have opinions on the matter. _

_I'm sorry, I had to include an OC at one point, but she won't have much to do with the story. In fact, I'm hoping never to bring her again. It's just, for that role, I couldn't really pick a character from the canon, because it felt weird. You'll understand why._

_Have a good read!_

* * *

><p>Athena's Widget seemed torn between green, blue and red, going back and forth between them in a frenzy, almost making it look brown. She sure hoped it wouldn't make it bug – she knew it could handle it, though, as it was proven more than once.<p>

Now that she was back home, after that long day taxing on an emotional level, she could finally let the truth sink in: Apollo had accepted. He was to move with the Wrights as early as he could. He was to have a _home_, finally. She knew, obviously, how much he deserved it, and she genuinely was happy for him, but she also couldn't shake the strange feeling it triggered in her.

She had stated, quite accordingly, that everyone in the Agency had lost a parent – even her Boss, she learned. Though no one brought it up, she of course included herself in that statement. She grew up with relatives in Europe, and while she liked her aunt and uncle very much, they weren't really her parents. Their house had been comfortable, a happy place for her to be, but even over the years she had stayed there, it never had been her real home.

That was one of the reasons she came back to California, along with her desire to help Simon. Phoenix's proposition had been so easy to accept. She never felt like she belonged in Europe, she had hoped coming back to America would help her.

In a sense, it did. She made better friends than she could ever dream of, not to mention she reunited with Juniper. Though it wasn't easy at all, she also managed to save Simon and their friendship was, perhaps, the one thing she was the most grateful for in her entire life. She even managed to make more friends over time, outside of work, and she always had something to do. Even that evening, she was supposed to go see a movie with Juniper, after what they would surely eat together. She was supposed to look forward to it, but she felt strangely tired.

Maybe it was time she did a therapy session by herself. Even though it wasn't as effective to do it alone, it was still better than nothing. She had time before going out and she should try to settle down her emotions to avoid worrying her friend.

She opened the mood matrix and thought about what she should talk about. Her emotions seemed to come directly from Apollo's acceptance, so she decided to summarize the ordeal.

As she spoke, she could clearly see the emotions flashing on the screen. First, she talked about how Apollo rushed in front of her when she opened the door to the Agency that morning. The yellow for surprise lightened up, as it should be. She brought up Phoenix's revelation and blue lightened up as well. The yellow stayed but mellowed.

When she stated how she explained Apollo's reaction, yellow's light died as blue became more prominent. Green lightened up a little, but she interpreted it as pride – she enjoyed explaining how mind worked to people, even if it wasn't really good news. She then moved on to Phoenix's dash to retrieve his subordinate, in which the blue dimmed a little and green brightened more. This also was very easily explainable: she was glad Phoenix wanted to help Apollo, though she understood it wouldn't necessarily help, hence why she was also worried.

So far, everything seemed in order. Athena took a break to drink a glass of water, seeing as her mouth had became dry. She also looked at the time, but she was nowhere near late yet. Therefore, she sat down once more and took where she left.

In front of the Matrix, she explained how she had waited in the Agency, unable to concentrate on anything, hoping everything would be fine. Blue was still there in full force, but green had darkened completely. For the first time since the beginning, the red for anger flashed, though it was clearly not as strong as the blue. It stemmed from nervousness and impatience, as she was waiting for news from her coworkers.

Apollo and Phoenix's arrival triggered a little yellow and a little green, as both blue and red had faded. Only seeing them coming home had been enough of a relief for her to forget all about being mad at them or worried over them.

The first contradicting emotions came afterwards. She realized that, when she heard about Apollo's decision, she didn't feel only happiness. Strangely enough, red and blue were also flashing, both as clearly as green. Even yellow had made a come back, though it was so little it was almost unnoticeable.

She saved that particular statement for later, hoping she would get a better picture at the end of her testimony, and moved up to their talk about family. Phoenix's explanation about his parents had brought up sadness and surprise, as it should be. Yellow was a bit more apparent, as she really hasn't seen it coming, but blue was still strong enough.

She summed up their whole afternoon in once sentence, in which only green lightened up. Organizing the Agency had fired her up and even arguing with Apollo had been fun, she realized. No contradictions there, though.

At the last statement she had to make, she nearly thought there wouldn't be anything else, but she was in fact mistaken. She thought the hug Phoenix, Apollo and Trucy shared would trigger mostly joy in her, but while the green was flashing, it wasn't nearly as strong as the blue and the red. These both emotions were going out of control.

Athena wondered how she could have felt it so little at the time, as she was sure she was only happy for them. She even wondered if Widget was perhaps broken, but every other statement had been okay, except for another one. It didn't make sense at all.

She went back to the first sentence that had triggered the odd emotions and listened to the recording, "Polly finally accepted the adoption!" She seemed enthusiastic enough, but now that she listened carefully, she could hear how a part of it seemed faked. She wondered how she could have missed it before. Now that she knew, it seemed plain as day.

She went back to the last part of her testimony and listened as well, "When Trucy came home, I told her the news and she bounced on Polly, soon followed by the Boss." This time, there was no faking, but her tone nearly wasn't as excited as it should have been. She could easily detect some hesitation in how she had said it, as if she was unconsciously avoiding talking about something else.

Frowning, the young lawyer pondered on her discoveries. Emotions could be divided into four convenient categories for trials, but there was lots of them that crossed the boundaries. For example, unrequited love often lead to as much joy as anger and sadness or fear. Pretty much like her own case, except love wasn't the source of it all.

What other emotions could trigger the three different parts at the same time? Closing her eyes for a short while, she tried to picture all humans emotions and how it would appear on the Matrix. Annoyance about bad habits from someone you love would light green and red. Requited love would lighten green, mostly, but, depending on the person, it could also make blue and yellow act a little. Betrayal would make red and yellow go out of control, while blue would come a little afterwards, to become the most prominent at some point. Envy would most of the time trigger red and blue; though, if it was with someone you care for, green could also take a huge place.

Her eyes opened suddenly and she went back and forth between the two problematic statements, analyzing them with this new possibility. At her own surprise, it actually matched pretty much everything she felt.

She had to admit it: she was jealous. She was envious of Apollo, for he had found a family before her.

This was a huge shock and she closed the Matrix with shaking hands. For someone that studied the human mind on a daily basis, she could be quite dense concerning her own. Maybe it was an after effect of always analyzing _other_'s people mind, and never her own.

Now that she knew, though, she must admit it explained perfectly well everything that happened. She had shushed her own doubts away to act as the supportive friend, but, at the same time, she had always thought, at the back of her mind, "Why wasn't it me?"

It was an ugly thought, really, but she couldn't help herself. All along, they talked about adopting Apollo, about becoming his family, but never once did any of them stop and wondered if they should also add Athena to the family. It's not like she really wanted to be adopted by Phoenix, but she had to wonder what it meant that no one has even thought about it.

Sometimes, she thought, it sucked to be the last one added to the Agency. She felt like the third wheel – though she was more of a fourth wheel – and, even though she had her place when it was about work, she didn't belong that much on a private matter.

She was made to realize she had failed to find a home.

Like her uncle and aunt's house, the Agency was comfortable. It was truly a happy place, but for her, it wasn't a home, and she was pretty sure it couldn't become one. Her apartment, while being cozy and convenient, didn't count as well. This wasn't where she belonged.

Will she ever find herself a place to call home? The thought frightened her more than she ever admitted it.

She felt her eyes prickle and she shook her head, adamant on not crying. She couldn't help herself, though. As tears fell down her cheeks and she sobbed, she was made to remember how she never fell in love before and how all of it must be related to the trauma she suffered as a kid. The loneliness she had felt had prompted her to make a lot of friends, but it had also prevented her from bonding too deeply with people.

It was the same with sex. It was easier to just sleep with random people, to fake the feeling of being accepted, than to actually commit. She could hear the hearts of people, and this also meant that, if she ever was to get on the nerves of the person she loved, she would be the first to know it. She would also be able to foresee their changes of hearts, should they not love her anymore.

She cleaned her face and tried to lighten up a little. It wouldn't help her to wallow in self-pity. She should know it was far better to try and have good thoughts instead of bad ones. After all, her life wasn't that bad. She still had time before she found true love. And a home, well, that would come in time, also. She shouldn't feel so desperate, she was only nineteen, for crying out loud!

After splashing her face with water in the bathroom, she checked the time: she would be late if she still lingered. She took her handbag and put on her coat and her boots. Without further ado, she went outside and walked to the cinema.

Juniper was waiting for her inside, as always sooner than her, and, after she had bought her ticket, they went to their seat. They had chosen a typical romantic comedy so they could giggle together and whisper to one another. For that purpose, they had isolated themselves in one corner of the room.

Before the film started, they talked of this and that. Juniper fawned over Apollo and Athena, as always, couldn't bring herself to break her heart. She knew almost for certain now that the attorney didn't have the slightest interest in her – he would have brought it up otherwise in their conversation with Simon. He had pretty much told her he didn't have someone he loved right now. Thinking about Apollo made her remember the feeling of jealousy she discovered not that long ago, but before Juniper could notice, the movie began.

As predicted, they talked a lot, commenting on this and that. Though she didn't look like it, Juniper actually was the talkative type in movies, pretty much like Athena. Together, they would talk more than the protagonists, if possible. It wasn't a problem, though, because the plot was pretty much absent and it ended exactly how they had expected it to.

Nevertheless, it had been very enjoyable. Afterwards, Athena suggested they came back to her apartment to eat something and Juniper complied. When they reached her home, she went to the kitchen to cook the dinner while her friend sat down at the table.

They ate while talking animatedly and, at some point, Athena brought up the news, "Junie, you know, Polly's gonna live at the Agency now!"

Though she was excited, she couldn't help but notice the pang at her heart. Shame came in the same package this time, leaving her in a whirlwind of emotions – she could picture the Mood Matrix going out of control were she to use it. Juniper, though, didn't seem to pick it up, as she was too surprised with the news. "Really?!" She asked. "But, why?"

Athena knew she told her about Apollo and Trucy being siblings, but perhaps she had failed to make the link between these two facts. So she took on her to explain, all the while smiling, "You remember that Polly is Trucy's big brother, right? So she thought they might as well adopt him, so he'd have a real family!"

"He's so lucky!"Chipped in Widget to Athena's horror. She tried to muffle her necklace, hoping her envy wouldn't get through. Juniper only laughed in response, clearly not picking on the subtle emotion. Her smile felt genuine and a little dreamy, as every time she was talking about Apollo. "This is such a good news! I'm glad for him!"

"Me too," admitted Athena. Because, no matter how jealous she was, she honestly was happy for him. This however triggered another conversation about Apollo and Athena felt like she should say something so she wouldn't get her hopes too high, but, at the same time, she knew it wasn't her place to say. Juniper would resent her if she told her she had no chances, and she didn't want to make her feel bad.

After some time and chit chat, Juniper mentioned she had to go back to the dormitory – she was in University now, still aiming to become a judge. Athena let her go with a promise to see each other soon and, with that, she was left alone yet again.

In was only Monday, but with all she had to go through, she thought she deserved to have fun. Since she wasn't legal in that country yet – twenty-one was way too old –, she couldn't go in clubs, which sucked when you wanted to pick up people. She decided to call a sex friend she made some time back instead of trying to find someone new.

The friend in question was a woman, older than her but not by much. She answered after three tones, but she accepted nonetheless Athena's proposal. They were to meet at her own apartment, so Athena decided to use the time she had to take a long due shower.

Well past ten o-clock, her doorbell rang. Wearing nothing but a towel, Athena made her way to the door and opened it. On the other side stood an elegant lady with short blond hair and a subtle smile gracing her lips.

Audrey, by her name, greeted her before coming inside. As soon as she got out of her coat, Athena gripped her by the collar and brought their mouths together. Even though Audrey had an aura of elegance and mannerism, she was actually much more impulsive than she let on, especially in a bed.

It wasn't long before they reached the bedroom, and by that time they were almost out of all their clothes. Athena forgot all about feeling lonely and enjoyed the warmth of another body close to her.

As usual, Audrey left as soon as they were done, and Athena stayed in her bed, staring at her ceiling. Being all alone in her bed made her feel suddenly even more lonely, even though sleeping with someone was supposed to prevent that. Most of the time, it worked, but this one time, it obviously didn't.

Still naked, she curled up in her bed and closed her eyes, hoping it would help. It didn't, of course – it never did. When she opened her eyes again, she grabbed her phone on the nightstand and called the only person she was sure would answer at past one o-clock in the morning.

"Athena? Is everything all right?" Simon's voice wasn't even near sleepy – he had another sleepless night, it seemed. Even if he was exculpated and apparently in a relationship, he still wasn't cured from his insomnia. His voice was filled with concern, as it wasn't the first time she called in the middle of the night and it never was for good news.

As usual, she didn't know what to say. She always called before thinking and always regretted it immediately. She laughed and tried to appear casual, as if she was calling in the middle of the day, "Hey, Simon, long time no see! How have you been?"

She chuckled some more, from nervousness or to avoid crying instead, she wasn't sure. Simon stated, not fouled by her distraction, "We saw each other Saturday and it is half past one in the middle of the night. Don't try to change subjects."

She tried to laugh once more, but it morphed into a sob as her eyes began to water. God, she was pathetic. She had all she could wish for and even more! What could she be unhappy with? She didn't have any rights to be sad!

"It's nothing important," she managed to get out. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called." Her voice was shaking and she knew it, so she immediately hung up. Simon tried to call back two times, but she didn't answer. She knew very well where this was leading, though. Sure enough, Simon sent her a text, telling her he'd be there in less than half an hour. She knew from experience nothing could stop him, as he was too protective of her, so she got up to wear some pyjamas, at least.

She found herself sobbing and laughing at her deplorable state as she fumbled to get dressed. When finally she had covered up enough, she went to the living room and tried to calm herself down. She was a psychologist, for god's sake! She knew more than one way to calm down! What she couldn't admit, though, was that she also knew very well nothing beat letting all her emotions out.

Not that long after, someone knocked and the door opened, revealing a dishevelled Simon. He had his usual coat, alright, but underneath it was a large old t-shirt and dark pyjama pants. His breath was a little shallow and he was sweating. Overall he looked like he rushed over without having second thoughts.

Despite having ran all the way here, he stayed for a while on the doorstep. When he finally came in, it was hesitantly. He obviously didn't know what to do with himself, now that he was over, and Athena found herself laughing with more joy. Simon's behaviour was endearing and she suddenly felt lucky to have him as a friend.

She smiled at him and he tried to reciprocate, but he frowned at the same time as he noticed how she was crying. Athena, upon this realization, tried to clean her face. Her friend sat down next to her and asked, in a solemn tone, "It is the same as always, is it not?"

She nodded, her face in her hands in an attempt to stop her tears. She could hear him sigh as he commented, in a more tired than reproving speech, "It doesn't do you any good to sleep around."

She laughed dryly. "You know it's not the problem," she answered as usual. "I'd like it if you stopped saying that..." He nodded, but it was clear he would still say it next time. Athena, with anyone else, would argue she was only being herself and he didn't have any rights to judge her sexuality, but with Simon, she knew it would take time. He really was the type to commit and didn't understand people who didn't. Though he was usually open-minded, he was sometimes really intolerant, perhaps an after effect of being in prison with criminals.

"I only..." she changed subjects, "I don't know, I need something more I guess?" 'Like a real home', was what she wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, not when Simon was by her side and she had the Agency and she should feel anything but lonely. She was ashamed by her own feelings, as if it shouldn't be there at all, as if she should consider what she had enough – because it should be enough.

Simon didn't add anything, but it was pretty clear he understood what she really meant. She chuckled once more, feeling pathetic all over. She was causing nothing but trouble with feelings she shouldn't even have.

She finally let her head fall on Simon's shoulder. She felt him tense a little, as usual when he wasn't suspecting sudden contact. He eased quickly, though, and allowed her to make herself more comfortable. They stayed silent for a long time, Athena having closed her eyes to relinquish this simple but calming touch.

After a while, Simon whispered, as if talking too loud would break their relative peace, "You should go to sleep."

She hummed in agreement, but didn't budge. She was comfy and sleepy and didn't want to move. Simon sighed and pushed her back a little so he could get up. He extended his hand to help her get up as well and she let herself be guided towards her bedroom.

The scent of sex still lingered in the room and Simon snorted, but made no comment. Athena could have laughed if she wasn't that sleepy. Without ceremony, she fell on her bed and curled up, feeling already better. However, as she heard steps coming out of her rooms, she called, "Simon, would you stay with me, please?"

She knew she was being selfish, but she couldn't help herself. Simon was the nearest to a home to her. Sleeping by his side made her remember about her mom, the space centre, the days were she had been happy and belonged.

If Simon had objections, he didn't voice any and crawled besides her. She realized they were pretty accustomed to it, by now, because she easily and without thinking found her way inside Simon's arm, while the prosecutor's hands went on her back and her hair. He made soothing movements and she almost purred in contentment. No matter how bad she would feel about it all later, for now, she couldn't help but feel loved and happy and warm.

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she heard her alarm go off. She opened her eyes lazily and tried to make her way to make it stop, but it somehow stopped by itself. She found it strange, but made nothing of it and almost went back to sleep. However, Simon's voice broke her plans, "Athena, it's time to wake up."

It made her recall everything that happened in the night and that managed to wake her up. She immediately sat up and found the prosecutor at her side, sitting on the other side of the bed, a small smile playing on his lips. He seemed refreshed and she wondered if sleeping with her was also therapeutic for him. It would alleviate her guilt at least.

She suddenly recalled one thing that had changed since the last time they did this, and it made her inside churned with shame. Not even two days ago, Simon had mentioned he was now in a relationship. Even though they did nothing, they did sleep in the same bed. Wasn't that bad? "I just realized..." She pointed out very legitimately while looking down, "Simon, won't your boyfriend be mad if he knew?"

Simon snorted in disgust and told her, clearly offended, "Please don't use the term 'boyfriend'. I would prefer you say 'partner'."

She was startled for a second – she wasn't expecting he would object on this –, before she burst with laughter. She couldn't help it, it seemed so petty and unimportant. Simon seemed mad, though his cheeks were a little red, and she finally gave in, "Okay, okay, your 'partner' then."

He nodded in approval and Athena's laugh toned down. "Don't fear, he knows exactly what you mean for me," he finally explained. "After all, he also has someone he'd do about anything for, including flying all over the world on a short notice. I'm sure he'd get himself imprisoned for him as I did for you if the times called for it."

Athena didn't expect that, but it made her have a more tangible inkling on who he might be going out with. She decided not to ask: he explicitly told her to wait, so she would.

"Not to mention he..." Simon began, but quickly stopped himself. Athena guessed he was about to add something that would obviously indicate his partner's identity. She could guess easily what he almost blurted out and smiled in endearment. From what she knew of that other person, he really could use someone in his life.

To make sure he wouldn't feel awkward, she didn't ask anymore and stood up. Trying to appear enthusiast, she declared, "We should have a breakfast before going to work!"

Simon got up as well and she finally noticed he was all dressed – he only didn't have his boots. He had woken up earlier than her, then. "In truth, I have to excuse myself," he answered without surprise. "I want to stop by home before going to work."

She beamed at him and hugged him once more, thanking him for his kindness and his presence. She assured him she wouldn't need to call anymore, that she'd find some way to not feel so lonely. Simon only told her he'd always be there should the need arise.

He left shortly after that and she quickly ate breakfast. The night had help her calm down and she knew she'd be ready for a new day of work with the Wrights. She really hope she'd never have to call Simon in the middle of the night once again.

* * *

><p><em>Simon just seems to get even more place in this story, I hope you like him. For me, Cykesquill is pretty much like PhoenixMaya: I really enjoy writing them being close friends enough to cuddle a little and demonstrate a love really deep, but I don't enjoy them as much romantically. I'm not against it, but it doesn't feel right for me. Like it's really more powerful as a friendship lasting a lifetime than a love that could lose strength over time._

_By the way, if you couldn't guess Simon's "partner" before, it should be pretty clear now. I left some huge clues, even if I didn't say his name. It's a ship I enjoy very much and I'm glad I can make it fit (though I can't really fangirl about it yet)._

_Oh and about Athena... I'm sorry, I realized I've been slut-shaming her back in chapter 4. It was never my intention, it only came out that way because, well... casual sex is something I don't understand, and I guess I sort of pushed it on the characters. Sorry if you felt offended, I try not to do it in real life but I guess that's how I really feel about it (and I'm not proud of it, far from it). I tried to make amend here by stating Simon (and subsequently Apollo) wasn't right to say what he was saying. Simon is obviously being judgmental, even if he doesn't want to, and Apollo was, well, being like me (though he thought it, he would never say it out loud). I hope that makes it better. I intend to make it even more right in the next chapters._

_Anyway, I hope you liked it! Until next time!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Here we go! Back with my Polly (yes he's mine, but I lend him to anyone in AA who wants him, mostly Phoenix)! I hope this isn't rushed. I guess that's what happens when you don't plan ahead of time (I have some things planned, but, well... not much). I did my best!_

_I don't do this usually, but I'll answer here to the Guest review, because I think it'll be interesting for everyone. I'm happy you like this story and the initial setting. The truth is, I love Hobopollo about as much in a romantic relationship than as a family. I guess as long as they cuddle a little and are cute and love each other, I don't care what's their true relationship. Also, I thought it'd be interesting to see the shift between family and romantic interest – usually we see from friends or strangers to lovers, but from family isn't common._

_For Thena, I thought about pairing her with Junie, but I'm not sure... Junie loves Apollo, that much is canon, so... I guess I'd have to go around that (and since I'm making every hetero characters homo in here, I thought I should stop myself somewhere). But I ship them so I guess I could make it happen. About who I was initially thinking of shipping her with, I'm sure you'll find it strange but I thought about Franziska... since, you know, they're both strong female characters. I could imagine easily both of them being real feminists and all that, so yeah... but I guess it's not gonna happen, I mean, how the hell would they even meet? So I'm not decided yet, if you have other suggestions, keep it coming!_

_For the dashes, I'll try to be more attentive. Thank you for pointing it out!_

_Have a good read!_

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><p>Everything was going too quickly to Apollo's liking, but there was no stopping the Wrights and Athena when they were psyched up. It would happen anyway, so maybe it was best he got accustomed to it earlier than later, but still... asking him to move in a day was too much.<p>

Nevertheless, here he stood on his doorway, Tuesday morning, a pack sack and a suitcase fully packed. He had decided for now he'd bring the minimum – his clothes, mostly, and some necessary accessories – and they would move the rest over the weekend. He would get rid of his furniture, except for the television, as Phoenix wanted it. To put in the office, he told him, even though the office was already cramped as it was.

The only belongings he would move, really, were books. He had accumulated a lot in the years, though most of them were law books he had to buy for school. He never bought novels he could borrow from the library, as it was a waste of money. He also never bought movies, games, or anything of the sorts. No wonder he was always bored at home.

Phoenix had already rented a car for the next Saturday, so they could move everything and dump the furniture at a thrift shop. Apollo had also contacted his apartment's owner so they could have an arrangement. They were to meet Sunday, at his apartment. They already decided he would terminate the rental arrangement and give him a compensation, a month's worth of rent. He had been generous with him, surely because he had been renting this apartment for more than six years now.

Apollo always had been sure he'd leave without feeling anything, since he had no real attachment to this place, but he had been wrong. He wasn't sad to the point of crying, but his heart was clenching a little and he knew he was lingering more than necessary. If he stayed any longer, he'd be late for work – not that it mattered much, though, as they had no cases.

With one last look, he finally stepped outside and locked the door. He would usually go to work on bike, but with his suitcase, it was obviously out of the question. He settled to walk over there, as it was something like thirty minutes on foot and he didn't want to spend money on bus fare.

All the way over the Agency, he felt nervousness rise in him. The closer he was, the more panicked he was becoming. He really wasn't ready for all of this. He wanted to run away badly, though knowing there was nowhere to go. It was irrational, but he couldn't help it. He never committed before, not to this kind of thing. This... was too much.

Still, he made it in one piece and stopped in front of the building, looking up to the windows. 'Wright & co.' was still written on it, and Apollo knew he never had the money to change it. It was still working, though, as the clients were mostly looking for Wright's name.

He inhaled deeply, before making his resolution and go inside. Going in and out of the elevator, he finally walked to the door leading to the Agency. Without stopping, this time, he opened it wide so he could enter easily with his suitcase and shouted his usual 'I'm home!'.

He heard Phoenix answer back from his office, soon followed by Athena. They came in the living-room as he put down his pack sack and got out of his coat and boots. Both of them were smiling broadly, to the point were Apollo couldn't help but smile back. Even if he still was a nervous wreck, he was happy with his decision.

Phoenix ushered him inside as soon as he was ready and told him he moved everything from his bedroom so he could use it. Apollo wondered when he had done this, since nothing was done when he went back home last night. At least it showed how enthusiast he was about this.

So the older showed the way to his new bedroom. Apollo knew where it was, but he had never caught more than a glimpse of it. After all, he had no reason to go inside before.

As Phoenix had stated, it was pretty empty. There laid a double bed, without his sheets, and the minimum furniture you could need in a bedroom: a night stand near the bed and a small bookcase on the other side which was empty. There was a closet on the other wall, pleasantly larger than what Apollo expected. The door was opened right now, showing the lack of clothes. This made him wonder where Phoenix's clothes went.

"Boss, where will you keep your clothes?" He asked.

Phoenix laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheeks, and he answered, "The truth is, I don't have much to begin with. And, well, there is a closet in the office, remember?"

Yes, he recalled a closet, but it was pretty small, compared to his anyway. Apollo felt bad about it, but he knew there was nothing to do at this point. It was Phoenix's habit to sacrifice himself for the others' well-being – though, in the beginning, Apollo couldn't have guessed.

His boss told him he could take time to make himself at home and the younger went back to the living-room to retrieve his suitcase and sack. As he entered his room again, he tried to picture living there, not as a guest, but as part of the family. It made him nervous, but he knew it was a good kind of nervous. The kind you feel when your love his reciprocated.

Disturbed by his own comparison, Apollo shook his head and began to organize his things. Not that long after Phoenix had left, Athena came by and asked if she could help him. He declined while blushing a little, not wanting her to see his underwear for example. She laughed as if she had read his thoughts, but she didn't comment and let him be.

As expected, it didn't take long. When all his clothes were hanging in the closet or folded on the little shelves inside it, he took out his sheets and made the bed. It was a tight fit, as it was meant for a single bed, but it managed to cover the mattress. He'd have to buy better ones before long, though.

When he took a break and sat down on his bed, he realized he had forgotten to bring his blanket. He'd have to ask his boss to provide him one for now. Or he could go back to his apartment to take it and bring back his bicycle. That was a nice idea. Maybe he would think of something else to bring back.

He took a look around the room, trying to feel more at home. This was still Phoenix's room, in his mind, even if his suits hung proudly in the closet. He sighed, knowing it'd take time to adjust.

He leaned on his back and lied down for a moment. The ceiling was white, as he expected, nothing interesting there. Closing his eyes for a second, he breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down. Maybe this was all new to him, but it was a good change. His life took a turn for the better, he knew it, and he only had to make himself believe it.

Still, Phoenix being his father... that felt weird no matter what. Frowning, he tried to picture him acting the same to him than to Trucy. It was so wrong he didn't even know where to begin to contradict. Surely, his boss would find it strange too, and he wouldn't try to be that much of a father. Maybe he'd go for the mentor/big brother approach. That seemed better.

Opening his eyes again, he shook his head and got up. No use in lingering here anymore, he was done. He got out, closed the door behind him – _his _door, now – and made his way to the living-room. Athena was there, watching the television, but Phoenix was nowhere in sight. Apollo, while coming up to her side, looked around, searching the spiky hair he learnt to recognize over the last year.

Seeing him look around, Athena provided him the answer to his questions, "Boss is still in his office, if you were wondering." She didn't look up at him, but he made a smile nonetheless and thanked her. "I think he's trying to make fit everything," she added. "He doesn't want me to help but maybe you could?"

She was being casual about this, but Apollo sensed his bracelet tightening ever so slightly. He brushed it off, though, thinking it might only be her being a little annoyed at his boss' refusal. Considering his options, he finally decided he'd gain nothing by staying here and walked to the office.

Sure enough, Phoenix was pacing around, trying to find space for everything. He looked up as he heard the sound of the door opening and his face immediately eased in a smile. Apollo didn't really smile back, but took in the room instead. As he had expected, it felt cramped. Even more so than before. There was some clothes on the couch that surely couldn't fit in the closet, as well as a couple of books and whatnot covering the desk. The bookcases were more than full, filled to the brim with all sorts of books and accessory. Overall, it didn't give off the feeling of an office at all.

When Phoenix realized what conclusions he had come to, he chuckled nervously before attempting, "I'm still trying to find space for everything, but I guess I need to decide what I'll throw out."

Somehow, Apollo was pretty sure his boss didn't want to throw anything out and was more trying to find holes to burrow everything in. He seemed the kind to accumulate things over time because he couldn't find it in him to throw anything. Apollo sighed and scanned the room one more time. Surely they could find some useless things to get rid of, right?

One bookcase stole his attention and he neared it, noticing that Phoenix was watching him intently. He paid no mind to his boss and read the titles of the books. He realized quickly he also possessed some of them. He recalled he had pushed Phoenix to buy them, as he was sure they were essential to an attorney. But if he had them as well, there was no need to keep these.

He took out all the books he recognized and put them on the small table, until there wasn't any left. He managed to clean about a shelf's worth. It wasn't that much, but it was a beginning, right? He turned towards Phoenix who was watching him with a puzzled look on his face and he explained, pointing to the books, "I also have them, so I thought we could sell them."

A look of comprehension flashed in his eyes, and he neared the table to peek at the book. Phoenix chuckled as he saw the titles and Apollo was pretty sure he guessed which they were. "Is that all the books you wanted me to buy?" His boss teased him. "And now you want to sell them?"

Apollo could feel himself blushing a little. "I couldn't know I'd be moving here at the time!" He tried to argue.

Phoenix's sly grin morphed into a fond one and he added softly, "I still have a hard time believing it's true. I mean, I've thought about it a lot, and now it's happening..."

"You've thought about it before?" Apollo asked, bewildered and blushing even more.

Phoenix looked surprised when their gazes met, and, as if it was expected, he explained, "Yeah, of course I did." As the younger stayed silent, Phoenix prompted him, "You didn't? Never?"

Apollo looked to the side, suddenly feeling ashamed without knowing why. No, he never really thought about it. Because, well... it was his workplace! Usually people don't envision themselves living in their office, right?

"That's strange," commented Phoenix. "You say 'I'm home!' when you enter the office, and yet, you've never even once thought about living here?"

Apollo perceived sadness in this statement, as if Phoenix was hurt, and he suddenly felt awkward and nervous all over again. He wasn't even living there yet and he was already making problems. He should have known this was a bad idea. How was he roped into all this again?

He didn't notice the older's movements until he was facing him, holding his shoulders. Apollo looked up in the blue eyes and noticed there wasn't any hatred or anger in them. Only, if he was seeing right, sadness and protectiveness. Apollo gulped down without knowing what to say, how to say it. And to think he was an attorney, he sure was at a loss for words a lot lately!

He expected him to scold him, or to ask for more information, but instead, Phoenix acted as unpredictable as ever and leaned down. Now this was a strange situation. Panicking inwardly, Apollo wondered what his boss was up to. It almost looked like he...

He was stopped in his tracks by a soft peck on his forehead. Apparently Phoenix had kissed his forehead, for whatever reason could cross his mind. He leaned back quickly and flashed him a smile, not that huge grin of his but more of a fond smile, one you have when watching cats video. Except he was watching him, which was disturbing. "It's okay, Polly," he assured him. "Let's leave the past in the past and move on."

Awkwardly, Apollo smiled back and they stayed a moment like this, until Phoenix let go of his shoulders and moved back to the table. Apollo exhaled deeply, noticing that somewhere along the line, he had forgotten to breathe. He wasn't accustomed yet to his boss's affection, as it was still all new to him. He was too caught up trying to adjust to even wonder if he liked it or not.

Phoenix produced a box from the back of the office and put the books in it, before putting it near the door. When he came back near the empty shelf, he looked thoughtful for a moment before stating, "But if you bring your books, they're gonna go back there..."

Apollo realized where he was going and felt embarrassed. "... So it doesn't help at all, does it?" He finished his boss's train of thoughts.

Phoenix laughed and commented, "Still, it was a nice try! Thanks, Polly!"

The younger slicked back his hair, feeling a little undeserving of such gratefulness, but he suggested nonetheless, "Maybe we could try to sort it out and find some other thing to move out?" Suddenly thinking back to Athena, who wanted so much to help, he added, "We could ask Athena to help too!"

The boss grinned lazily and looked around the room, before sighing. He sat down on his couch, near the clothes, and finally agreed, "Yeah, I think we're gonna need her help after all."

Apollo got out of the room immediately. Athena looked up at him with hope in her eyes. "So," he asked sheepishly, "the boss wants to sort out his things... Maybe you could help?"

She beamed and got up without second thoughts, determination burning in her eyes. They both came back in the office and began to analyze everything that was in this room. Each time they found something suspicious, they would show it to Phoenix who would try to find a reason to keep it. They would argue over it and decide its fate together.

The whole morning came and was soon gone. When it was time to eat, Apollo, as it was his turn, made his way to the kitchen to cook. Not that long afterwards, they ate together, the three of them in a good mood, even though they had argued so much. Arguing was the job of an attorney, and to the three of them, it was as much of a pastime as it was practice.

In the middle of the afternoon, their cleaning finally came to an end. Apollo scanned the room in approval. It was still packed – there was no avoiding it –, but at least it looked like an actual office now. There was four boxes full of things to give and sell near the door, and Apollo realized they'd have a lot to do Saturday, as they wouldn't have a car any other time.

They decided to take the rest of the day to relax in front of the television. Apollo took hold of his armchair and opened his diary. However, he wasn't sure what he should write in it. Depicting the day? Writing about Phoenix's sudden kiss on his forehead? And why the forehead, anyway? Was he making fun of him as Klavier was?

He decided to rant about everything that came to mind and it helped him calm down. He could hear and see Athena and Phoenix watching something and getting excited over it, but he paid no attention to them.

Before long, it was time for Athena to go. The young woman got up when she noticed it was near six o-clock and smiled at both of them, though it seemed a little forced. Still, he didn't press the issue and got up as well, seeing her off to the door. As she put on her coat and boots, he realized suddenly he wouldn't have to do it anymore, to go out as soon as the work day was over.

It felt strange no matter what, to be the one to bid Athena farewell when they would usually go out together. The girl also seemed to feel out of place and she chuckled awkwardly. Trying to lighten the mood, she gave Apollo a quick hug and told him "I'll see you tomorrow" in that cheerful tone she had mastered. The male attorney answered back and, with that, she was gone.

He stared at the closed door for a few seconds, until he shook his head and went back to the living-room. Phoenix was still there, making himself comfortable on the couch. Apollo, suddenly remembering something, stayed standing up and asked, "I just noticed, boss, where's Trucy?"

Phoenix looked up at him and his eyes darted upwards, as it does when someone tries to remember something. "Yeah, she had a show tonight if I remember correctly," he answered. "She said something about eating with friends beforehand."

Apollo couldn't believe how uncaring he sounded; Trucy was still seventeen, Phoenix should keep better track of what she did. He argued, while knowing full well where this would go, "You shouldn't be so permissive..."

Phoenix sat up straight and scratched his cheeks, looking sheepish. "It's always been that way between us," he answered truthfully. "Even before I became her Daddy, she was already so grown up. I tried to scold her at the beginning, but it never worked. Guess that's what works better for us."

She was independent, alright, but still, his lack of worry was a little unnerving. Apollo finally decided to sit down besides him and he asked, no longer in disapproval but more in genuine interest, "You never worry for her?"

Phoenix leaned back and looked at the ceiling, answering in an apparently casual tone, "Yeah, I mean, I worry about her all the time, but she's a big girl, she's gonna be okay."

He really was a father, Apollo realized. He worried for her, but didn't want to protect her too much, because he also believed in her. This changed Apollo's whole vision on the matter and he made himself more comfortable without arguing anymore.

The television was still playing, but Apollo wasn't paying any attention to it. He was eyeing his boss, noticing he had gone back to whatever was playing. As he had already noticed, Phoenix wasn't really the type to talk while watching something, unless someone was doing it as well. He knew, of course, how Apollo wasn't fond of it, so when they were alone or with Trucy, they never talked much – the teenager only talked when there was magic, so unless they watched Harry Potter, they were okay.

After some time, maybe out of some sixth sense, Phoenix noticed he was being watched and glanced at him, interrogation visible in his eyes. Apollo gulped and looked elsewhere. Because of his ability, he always tended to study people around him when he had nothing better to do. Since they were alone right now, Phoenix was the only one he could study.

To make the awkwardness go away, he suddenly stood up and stated he'd make the dinner. Phoenix asked if he should help, but Apollo politely declined since it was his duty to do the meals that week – their agreement only applied to lunch before, but, well, it was a nice excuse nevertheless.

Without further ado, he went inside the kitchen to prepare the meal. After a while, as he was happily cooking, he heard the door open. At this time of the day, it couldn't really be a client, but maybe it was Trucy coming home after all. He strained to hear the voices, but he couldn't make it clear because of the sound of the cooking.

He was almost finished, anyway, so he quickly turned off the stove and went to the living-room. Hoping to find his sister, he entered with a welcome that quickly died on his lips. The one standing there wasn't Trucy at all. In facts, one retired star he knew all too well was smiling broadly at his boss.

Apollo gasped loudly and it made both of them turn to him, one with surprise and the other with amusement. Klavier's surprise was short-lived, though, as he exclaimed with a knowing smile, "I guess everything's going smoothly, then, Herr Forehead?"

It took a while for Apollo to understand what he was talking about, but when he did, his stomach did a somersault as he wondered how the hell he would deal with this. Phoenix looked at him thoughtfully, noticing quite easily his embarrassment that was as clear as day. Blushing, Apollo moved towards Klavier. "What are you doing here anyway?" He asked him.

Looking falsely offended, the prosecutor answered, "You wound me, Herr Forehead. Can't I come see a friend?" Since when was he friend with Phoenix, that's what Apollo wanted to ask, but, before he could object, Klavier went on, "I wanted to check on Herr Wright, but I guess I don't need to anymore."

If he could just go away, that would help a lot Apollo. It was only wishful thinking, though, because his boss interrupted them to ask, "You wanted to talk to _me_?"

Apollo looked back at him to realize he was a little clueless. Of course, he wouldn't know what Klavier was talking about. After all, Apollo didn't tell him. Klavier smiled with confidence and started to say, "I promised Herr Forehead I'd do it, after I found him..."

Apollo couldn't let him go on and promptly shut him by covering his mouth with his hands. He tried to bluff with the first idea that came to him, "He's talking about some case he had, he asked me for advice and I told him to ask you. But, since he came all the way here, I'll talk instead."

He knew he was being awfully suspicious, and Phoenix didn't look like he was buying his story, but he didn't have anything else. Before letting go of the prosecutor, he looked at him intently and suggested, "So we'll go talk about it outside, okay?"

Klavier nodded, strangely obedient, and Apollo let him go before telling his boss he won't be long. The older didn't answer and only stared, but the younger was quick to push his rival outside and go out himself. He grabbed him and made his way over People Park, as it was out of the question to talk near the office were Phoenix could hear anything.

When they reached the park, Klavier finally seemed to lose his cool. "What was that for?" He asked, offended.

Apollo felt guilty for his forcefulness, but he decided not to show it and instead he argued back, "I'm the one who should be saying that! Why would you come all the way to the Agency anyway? I already told you you were wrong!"

For once, Klavier looked genuinely hurt. "I only wanted to make myself useful to you! I don't see why you're mad!"

Okay, this was too much. Seething, Apollo explained, his tone climbing in volume quickly, "There's nothing between me and Mr Wright, okay? He asked me to come live with him because he wanted to adopt me!"

Now the prosecutor looked positively lost. Well, no wonder. He wouldn't know the reason for the adoption after all. "But why?" Asked a dejected Klavier. "I don't see why he would adopt you..."

Apollo calmed down a little and decided he might as well tell him. If it could clear up the misunderstanding, it was a small price to pay. "Trucy's my biological sister," he admitted, "so, I guess it makes Mr Wright sort of my father."

Klavier gasped, clearly not having seen this coming at all, and he gawked at him ungracefully. After some time, he composed himself. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

Because he wasn't really his friend, Apollo thought without saying it out loud because he didn't want to look like an ass. Now that he thought about it, he himself didn't tell anyone – if you excluded Simon, but he was forced to do it. "We didn't really talk about it much," he confessed, "so I guess I was just... waiting for the right moment. Yeah."

Okay, this wasn't good, but, even if he seemed doubtful, Klavier didn't press him any further. Instead, his head hung low as he apologized, "Then I am sorry, Herr Forehead, it seems like I have jumped to conclusions too fast."

It was difficult to stay mad at someone who seemed so genuinely sorry. His anger mellowed and he even smiled a little before saying, "It's okay. Just don't do it next time, okay?"

Klavier nodded and regained his complete composure. For someone who always looked so confident, he sure broke down easily. Apollo wondered if it was because of him, but quickly brushed it off.

The prosecutor smiled. "Then, if everything is sorted out, I guess it's my cue to leave."

"Yeah, I need to go back to the Agency," Apollo mentioned.

Klavier took his leave while wishing him good luck with everything. Apollo didn't thank him and went back to the Agency, wondering what he would say to Phoenix. Should he apologize? No, that would be suspicious. How about explaining further? It would be dangerous to tell more lies on top of it all. There was no way he'd be honest about it all, though.

He hadn't reached a conclusion yet when he entered back the Agency. Phoenix was sitting down on the couch, but he stood up as soon as he saw him. They stayed silent while Apollo took out his boots, but as soon as he was done, Phoenix asked, "You had finished cooking, right?" Apollo nodded, not trusting his voice right now, and the older went on, "Then let's eat before it gets cold!"

And with that, he was going to the kitchen. Apollo followed him and they took place at the table. They ate in silence and, after a while, Phoenix talked about a new legislation that was the talk of the week. Not believing it, Apollo indulged in his talk. Phoenix wouldn't say anything, then? He wouldn't ask what was going on? As much as it was a relief, it still was pretty weird.

Nevertheless, they didn't talk about it all night long, and, when it was finally time for Apollo to go to sleep, he tensed up. Looking at his new bed, with a temporary blanket he borrowed earlier, he realized he would have a hard time falling asleep. Not only because of Klavier, but because he still couldn't believe it was his room.

He was used to have trouble falling asleep, though, and, as he curled up on his bed, he tried hard not to think of anything depressing. He failed as usual, though, and didn't fall asleep until the late hours of the night.

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><p><em>Klavier's really OoC, I'm sorry... he turned out that way on his own. Anyway, at least he's not an important character in this story.<em>

_Phoenix being affectionate is my life, I can picture it so easily (if you haven't noticed yet). Apollo on the other side is the type to need some time to get accustomed to someone touching him. Phoenix's trying to warm him up but he isn't really slow about it all._

_Also, I have almost catch up with my written chapters (I only began the 11th), which isn't good. I'll publish chapter 10 Monday anyway, but if by then I don't have written enough, I'll go back to updating once a week. I thought I should tell you beforehand. But hopefully I'll be inspired in the weekend and write like a demon..._

_Okay, until next chapter!_


	10. Chapter 10

_I warn you ahead of time, Phoenix is being, well, immensely dense, or has a strange way to process information, I'm not sure. Don't be surprised by what comes out of his reflexions. This is necessary to the plot, though it might come out as frustrating. _

_Oh and a reviewer persuaded me to go with my first idea for Athena and so, I decided she'd fall in love with Franziska. It'll come a lot sooner than you might think (no, not in this chapter, but the next actually). It won't be as the reviewer suggested, though, because another idea popped in my head. I hope nobody is strongly against it. And if you are, then, I'm sorry, but I decided I'll do what I want with this fic (it's the only way to make sure I'll want to continue it, otherwise I might drop it and you don't want that, do you?). Franziska/Athena is awesome, I decided._

_The bad news is, I wasn't able to catch up with the chapters. I haven't even written half of chapter 11 yet. That means I won't update this Thursday, I'm sorry. I'll make sure to update next Monday, though. I hope I'll be able to go back to updates twice a week eventually, I really liked it better. Oh well, I did try._

_Have a good read!_

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><p>People lied all the time. Even Phoenix himself, of course. He said white lies pretty often, most of the time without even meaning to. He wouldn't say all of the truth, he'd alter little things, he would even give meaning to meaningless actions. But all these little lies wouldn't make the Magatama react, mostly because people weren't conscious of them or didn't consider them important enough. Not to mention it would react all the time if it picked up all those inconsistencies.<p>

All this meant that when the Magatama did react, it would have to be for something huge, something the person would consciously try to cover up.

Phoenix always kept it during working hours in case he got a client. In his private life, though, he made a point of not carrying it around. People had the right to keep things to themselves and he didn't want to start nitpicking at everyone outside of job. It didn't feel fair to them either, because if they were concealing it, there had to be a reason. It wasn't his place to say anyway.

This evening, because everything was different somehow, he had forgotten to put it back in his desk. He had even forgotten he had it on him until he heard the noise of chains and saw the famous Psyche-Locks forming around Apollo. There were only three, meaning at least it wasn't that big of a lie and would be easy to break. However, it struck him as odd because it was the first time he ever saw locks on Apollo.

The younger wasn't really the type to lie. He had concealed things before, but he had been honest about it, stating he didn't want to talk about it. The Magatama wouldn't react on that kind of statement, because the person wasn't really lying: they were being honest in saying they didn't want to talk about it. It reacted to lies, not to 'not wanting to talk'. Phoenix never knew if Apollo reacted that way because he didn't know how to lie or if he knew somehow this was the weak spot of the Magatama, but he was pretty sure it was the former.

This time, though, for the first time, Psyche-locks appeared around Apollo. Phoenix wasn't even sure by what he was the most shocked: that it was the first time he lied to him, or how obvious he had been about it. He would have known, even without his spiritual gem, that he was lying, no doubt about that. Really, it seemed as if he wasn't even trying. His excuse was fishy, his behaviour was suspicious to say the least, and Klavier had seemed as surprised as he was.

So when both lawyers dashed out the door, he stayed still a moment, before dropping on the couch. He had a part in this, that much he was sure of it, but otherwise, he had no inkling on what the secret was all about. To think Apollo would keep a secret with Klavier, of all people! With Athena or Trucy, Phoenix would understand, but Klavier? Every time the younger talked about the prosecutor, it was always to complain about him. From the looks of it, the former Gavinner's only existence was getting on his nerves.

Then again, maybe there was more to it. Miles, for example, would more than often complain about him, but that didn't mean he hated him, far from it. Maybe Phoenix had misinterpreted Apollo's behaviour. Maybe his protege actually considered Klavier as a friend. Maybe he liked him.

Maybe... oh, maybe he actually _loved _him. Phoenix scratched his chin as the new idea made its way in his mind. Yes, maybe that's what the secret was all about. He could picture it all now. Klavier wanted to announce they had come to a relationship and Apollo, being shy about it, tried to stop him.

Phoenix always pictured Apollo as someone extremely secretive about his love life. Actually, he never once talked about it with him, even when Phoenix himself mentioned the disaster of his university love or his lack of relationship in the last years. Overtime, Phoenix had stopped thinking about it, waiting for Apollo to talk.

The only hint he ever had to Apollo's love life was his own deduction about his friend, Clay. He wasn't sure they had a relationship, but it wouldn't surprise him if Apollo admitted to having loved him. It wasn't only because they were close friends. Phoenix always sensed the grief he felt was huge, too huge to mean only friendship – though he was good at hiding it. He could be mistaken, of course, but it made sense.

So, Phoenix was pretty sure that, should Apollo engage himself in a relationship, he would have a hard time coming out with it. Klavier, on the other hand, seemed like he wouldn't care about it and tell everyone easily. That would explain why Apollo seemed so embarrassed and tried to shush the star.

A small smile made his way to his lips and he chuckled, thinking once more Apollo had such cute sides to him. No need to pressure him, he thought. He knew over time, the attorney would find the courage to tell him by himself. For now, he would let him be.

When the younger attorney came back, Phoenix tried to appear as casual as ever and made small talks. If Apollo was tensed at first, he relaxed after a while. After dinner, they watched the television. Apollo was studying some laws at his side, looking sometimes at the screen. Phoenix for himself went back and forth between the television and his new son. Though he was watching the TV more often, he was more concentrated on the younger attorney.

Phoenix didn't know why, but he always pictured him going out with a guy. Apollo never told him he was gay, though, or hetero for that matter. He never talked about attraction at all. The older wasn't sure why he was thinking he loved men, but maybe it was because he seemed so oblivious to Juniper's crush. But, come to think of it, he had this hunch way before that...

He had no real reason, but he thought, while looking at his face, that if Apollo ever told him he was going out with a woman, he would be surprised. Well, he was surprised he would go out with Klavier, but that was because of who he were, not of his gender. Then again, maybe Apollo was bi. It was a possibility, alright. Or pan. Or whatever else existed.

Phoenix for himself wasn't purely heterosexual. He had loved more women than men in the past, but he had felt attraction towards men at some point and never felt disgusted by it. In sexuality, he was the kind to go with the flow, so he wasn't ashamed of anything.

He was suddenly very intrigued about Apollo, but he didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. If, after all this time, he never talked about it even once, then it was surely because he didn't want to talk about it at all. It was his right not to talk about something so personal.

After all, Phoenix himself never talked about his occasional attraction to men, mainly because it was easier in daily life to pretend to be heterosexual. Some people wouldn't understand if he was to try and explain he had felt attraction and even love towards some men, but didn't consider himself bi per see – not to mention those who didn't believe in bisexuality. He had told Trucy at one point, though, because he didn't want any secrets between them, but, other than her, only a few selected knew. And Apollo wasn't part of it, not because he didn't want to tell him, but because the younger looked like he didn't want to talk about these kinds of things. Which Phoenix understood perfectly.

Still, Apollo and Klavier...? Phoenix chuckled, making Apollo look at him with questioning eyes. Apparently, on TV, it was a dramatic moment. Phoenix brushed it off with a sign of his hand and Apollo didn't comment.

Well, Phoenix supposed, Klavier was an attractive man and had tons of fans to prove it. In a trial, he was flashy, but he also considered the truth to be more important than anything else, a value most prosecutor had a hard time coming to term with. He would be fun to hang around, Phoenix guessed, and would surely be affectionate enough. The only problem he could see was if Klavier was able to commit, but that's something he shouldn't judge solely based on appearance. It wasn't because he seemed to flirt with anyone that he would actually cheat.

Maybe it wasn't all that strange after all. Attorneys and prosecutors who often clashed in court formed special bonds over time. After all, even for him...

He got out of his reflexions by Trucy finally coming home. They welcomed her, Phoenix with a hug and Apollo with a smile. The girl seemed drained, though, so she told them good night right away and went to prepare for sleep. Apollo seemed to get the cue and also made his way towards his room.

Now alone, Phoenix closed the television and went to the office. It had happened, in the past, that he slept there, but it was always for a short time only. Now, this was supposed to be his room. 'Supposed' being the key word.

For a second, he thought back to more than ten years ago, when he found the body of his late boss. It happened in this room, he could pin point where exactly. Even after all those years, he still kept a vivid memory of how she was positioned, where, and how he had found Maya. Feeling sick, he sat down on the couch and closed his eyes, only to picture it even more clearly.

He shot his eyes opened and tried to picture better memories involving this room. His endless chatters with Maya. Pearls' exasperate sighed as she cleaned against his will. Athena's apparent love for his chair, and how she would turn around on it with laughter. How he had kissed Apollo on the forehead before that day.

He chuckled as he pictured Apollo being all flustered. The kid wasn't used to affectionate behaviour, that much was clear from the start. Maybe his lack of a family was the cause of it all. After all, he wouldn't be surprised if Apollo told him no one hugged him when he was young. That seemed all the more reason to begin to shower him with love now.

Come to think of it, he was certainly getting tons of love from Klavier, now. That was good news, at least. Phoenix couldn't help but wonder if Apollo wouldn't like it best to live with him, then? Compared to a father's kind of love, a lover's was maybe was he'd enjoy better. But he did accept the adoption in the end, so maybe he wanted both...

Anyway, nobody said this was forever. Apollo living here made sense for now, but if his relationship became serious, perhaps they would move in together. So Phoenix should really make the most of Apollo's stay.

Now calmed down, he stood up and made his bed, realizing now he'd have to do it everyday. Oh well, he would get used to it. It wasn't much anyway.

When his bed was done, he turned out the light and went to sleep. Much to his dismay, but not his surprise, he couldn't fall asleep, and he wondered if Apollo was sleeping by now. It was hard to tell before living with someone if they had insomnia, so he really wasn't sure, but he did hope the kid was fast asleep.

He turned around in his bed, getting frustrated as time flied by. At some point, though, he finally fell asleep without even realizing it, only to get up at around five in the morning. He wondered if he should get up and decided to linger a little more. He was more comfortable than last night, mainly because he didn't have to fall asleep.

He was more or less daydreaming when he heard noise. It was far too early for Trucy to get up: the girl never woke before her alarm. And when he said never, it was really never. If possible, she would sleep until noon every day. So, he reasoned, it must have been Apollo. Come to think of it, before trials, the kid would wake up at five to practice his Chords of Steel. God, would he do it even now? He wouldn't wake him up as he was already awake, and Trucy could sleep through a storm, but he could disturb his neighbourhood. Not that he had many neighbours, as there was more offices than anything, but still.

However, he never heard anything except for some footsteps. He wondered what Apollo was up to and almost got up, but decided against it. He was curious to hear if he would finally settled. Not that long after, though, he heard the front door open and guessed Apollo went outside. So he actually practised his Chords of Steel outside. That made sense. Shouting at five in the morning sure seemed like an easy way to get evicted.

Phoenix decided to get up at that point and, after he made the bed, he went for a shower. After that, feeling refreshed, he made his way for the kitchen and made some coffee, enough for Apollo to take some as well. Phoenix knew he enjoyed coffee, as he would often make some in the day. Apollo took it with milk and sugar, if he remembered right. Phoenix himself took it black, though he remembered at first he would put lots of cream, milk and sugar. It took him time to grow out of it, but at some point he stopped the sugar and the milk just seemed to follow.

Apollo came back not long after that. Phoenix was in the living-room, so he greeted the younger who said his famous "I'm home!". The older noticed he wore sports clothes and seemed a little out of breath, as well as a little sweaty. His hair wasn't gelled, so his usual antennas fell strangely on his face. Apollo had been trying to make them go behind his ears, but it was clear they weren't long enough for that, so they fell in his eyes instead. "You've been jogging?" Asked Phoenix with interest.

"Yeah," answered the younger, "I always do this in the morning, it helps me get pumped up. You should try it too." Phoenix only laughed and pleaded it wasn't his type. It really wasn't, though; no matter how many times he tried to exercise, he would always stop after some time. He wasn't cut out for this.

Apollo seemed dubious, but he decided to drink from his water bottle instead of arguing. After that, he made his way to the shower. Phoenix decided he would tell him about the coffee after he got out. For now, he enjoyed his own coffee while watching the news. It was as depressing as ever, but it served to distract him for now.

Apollo came back some time after that, already in his suit and his hair gelled up. He had a cup of coffee in a hand and a bowl of cereals in the other. He sat down besides Phoenix, as he seemed to do a lot lately, and watched the news with him. After some time, the older asked casually, "Did you sleep well?"

The younger looked a little startled, but, after some time, he answered, "Like usual. And you?" It was conveniently vague, Phoenix noticed. "Me too," he told him. They stayed silent after that and Phoenix got up to get himself some breakfast as well. He also got another cup of coffee and came back to the living-room with a plate of toasts.

They ate in silence and Phoenix noticed it was almost seven, meaning Trucy would get up in no time. It made him smile and he warned his protege, "You shouldn't try to speak to Truce before she had breakfast." At the younger questioning stare, he went on, "She won't answer or get in a foul mood. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. Answer if she asks questions, but don't question back, okay?"

Apollo nodded while looking at him funnily. He would understand in no time, Phoenix mused. They ended eating at about the same time Trucy woke up. She stood in the doorstep of her own room, where she could see them, and rubbed her eyes. She mumbled a 'Morning' to which both men answered and she stayed there for a while, seemingly unable to proceed. Phoenix chuckled, but she didn't notice.

At long last, she finally made a move and walked slowly towards the bathroom. The shower would help her a little. Apollo glanced towards him and Phoenix told him, "That's what I was talking about."

"I thought I saw a zombie," the younger commented. And to think he still hadn't seen the worst of it. Phoenix patted his shoulder and warned him, "That was far from the worst she's been." He seemed worried, but Phoenix laughed it out.

Trucy ate her breakfast in the kitchen while the other two stayed in the living-room. It was better that way, anyway, because she needed that time to truly wake up. As soon as she was finished, though, she entered the living-room all dressed up and beamed at them both. Apollo seemed destabilized at first, but he quickly went back to normal and they talked about their nights. However, soon enough, Trucy mentioned she had to go to school.

Phoenix hugged her and kissed her head, as he would do every morning, and wished her a good day. Trucy smiled at him and made her way to Apollo to hug him tightly. She whispered something Phoenix couldn't hear and backed down, wishing him a good day. Apollo flushed, but he answered nonetheless and with that, the teenager was out.

They still had some time before Athena would be there and Apollo immediately suggested he would clean the toilet. Phoenix didn't complain and settled on the couch, wondering what he should do. He remembered he had scheduled a meeting with Miles later that day; with all that happened lately, he had almost forgotten. It was in late afternoon, though, so there wasn't any rush to get ready. Not that he had anything to get ready for; it was a private meeting, it wasn't about work. Miles, as for everything in his life, was treating their outing as business appointments and Phoenix had took the habit to do as well.

Athena, finally, came around and they talked for some time. The woman asked how went the first day and they both answered it wasn't that different from everyday. They already saw each other so much it didn't make much of a difference. She seemed disappointed, but she admitted it was still great.

No clients came by and at around four in the afternoon, Phoenix told them he had to go to his meeting. Athena giggled, like every time he talked about those 'meetings', and he chuckled with her. Both of his employees saw him to the door and he flashed them a smile. He patted Athena on the head and gave Apollo a semi-hug before finally going out.

They met as usual at a tea shop – Miles' taste buds couldn't tolerate coffee that well, tea was a better option. The prosecutor was the first there, so Phoenix, as he sat in front of him, apologized, "I'm sorry I'm late, Edgeworth."

Miles folded his arms and, while his fingers tapped on his arms, he noted, "Hmph, you're not late, Wright. I just happened to be early." He couldn't just admit he looked forward to seeing him, Phoenix noted. The attorney smiled in endearment and leaned back. To think ten years ago, he wouldn't have thought they could sit together and have a pleasant time. Now, even all his little quirks that used to annoy him only made him smile.

The prosecutor unfolded his arms and sat straight, wondering, "Do you know what you will have?" Phoenix hadn't even thought about it, so he opened the menu and asked, "I'm not sure yet... what about you?"

"I will order Earl Grey," he answered without doubts. "It's been a while since I could enjoy some." Phoenix nodded and looked at the menu. At first, he really wasn't the tea type, but over time and considering his involvement with Miles, he came to be quite knowledgeable despite himself. He looked at the menu and decided after some pondering, "Then I'll go for some Genmaicha." Miles looked puzzled, as if looking for the links between their two choices, and Phoenix chuckled.

He closed the menu and piled the two on the end of the table, so the waiter would know they were ready to order. Miles dropped his hands on the table and intertwined his fingers, before asking the same question he did at the beginning of their meetings, "Anything new in your life?"

Phoenix almost answered as usual that no, there was nothing, but he caught himself just in time and looked away. Before he could explain everything, the waiter interrupted them. He took their order and went away, leaving them silent for a few seconds. To avoid making him uncomfortable, Phoenix admitted, "There's something new, yeah. Pretty huge, to tell the truth."

Miles looked startled, but he quickly took control over himself and asked, "Care to share?"

Phoenix nodded and began, "Well, you know Truce and Polly are in reality half-siblings, right?" If Miles was a teenager, he would have rolled his eyes, but instead he said, "Yes, you've told me more than once, Wright. Is there more to it?"

Phoenix laughed. "Of course," he said, "but that was an introduction. I'm sure you're familiar with the concept." Miles winced – Phoenix really enjoyed annoying him. "Anyway, Truce suggested that, since Polly doesn't have a family, I might as well adopt him. So he's living with me and Truce since yesterday."

Unlike what he would have supposed, Miles didn't startle much. Instead, he looked to no point in particular and mentioned, "It does make sense, I suppose."

"You're not surprised?" Asked Phoenix, a little astonished himself. Miles focused on him and calmly explained, "I admit I didn't see it coming, but it seems like something you would do."

Phoenix nodded, but before he could add anything, their teas were served. Miles took his cup and smelled its aroma with a satisfied sigh. Phoenix did the same, though he wasn't near as pleased by it as the prosecutor. Miles enjoyed tea more than anything, especially if it was very good.

They stayed silent for a while, as the magenta-suited prosecutor relished his tea, but finally he put down his cup and asked, "So, is everything going well with Mr. Justice?"

"You can call him Apollo, you know," told Phoenix not for the first time. He knew Miles wouldn't do it – he didn't even call him by his first name, though in all honesty they were both more comfortable with last names –, but he still insisted each time. Miles furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't comment. "It's going smoothly," went on Phoenix. "It was difficult to convince him at first, but now it seems like it sank in. He was almost living with us, anyway. Really, it doesn't change much."

The prosecutor nodded and drank another mouthful from his tea. "Your office is looking less and less like an office as the years go by. It makes one wonder how it will be in another ten years." Phoenix winced, thinking how old he'll be at that time, and pleaded, "Please don't talk about that."

Miles smirked, the closer he would get to a real laugh, and Phoenix eased in a smile too. After some time, the attorney asked, "What about your roommate? Has he tried to slice you yet or is he behaving?"

Phoenix was joking, but Miles seemed to take it literally as he argued, "Blackquill would never 'slice' anybody." The attorney would have laughed, but he stopped himself when he noticed how upset Miles seemed. Phoenix realized he might have gone too far and apologized, "I'm sorry, Edgeworth. You're right, Blackquill isn't a murderer. He still cut some of my hair, though."

At that, Miles smirked once more as if making fun of his suffering. Before he could make a snarky comment, though, Phoenix asked, "So, how is it going? Has he found a house yet? Come to think of it, it's been a year since he's been out of prison, right?"

The prosecutor nodded and explained, "Yes, he's been living with me since a year now. I admit that, at first, it was supposed to be until he found some way to support himself, but..." Miles stopped and looked at his cup, as if to find words that were escaping him. Phoenix focused all his attention on him, sure what was to come would be something important.

"But," he finally carried on, "our agreement became comfortable for both of us, so we decided to stay together." Miles looked up and stared him in the eyes, dead serious despite the blush that now coloured his cheeks. "What I'm about to say must stay between us, you understand?"

Phoenix nodded and promised, "I won't tell anyone."

Miles sighed ever so slightly, blinked and finally decided to come out with it, "I admitted my feelings to him without meaning to and we've been in a... relationship ever since."

For some long seconds, Phoenix stayed still, unable to process. However, as the truth began to sink in, he couldn't help but feel extremely happy for his friend. For as long as he have known him, Miles had admitted to having feelings for one person only, and that didn't worked out. So, though it was highly unexpected, he couldn't help but grin. "That's... wow," he said. "I'm so happy for you. You really deserve it, you know."

Miles smiled, a small but genuine smile, and admitted, "You are the first person I told the truth to. I thought you deserved to know it."

"I'm happy you wanted to tell me," Phoenix admitted. "But, wow, I can't believe it, it's so awesome! I can't help but want to tell everyone!" Miles glared at him, so he presented his hands in a peaceful manner and remembered him, "I won't, Edgeworth, I have promised after all. But can't I at least tell Truce and Polly?"

Miles looked to the side and asked of him, "Please refrain from doing so. There's a reason why I have asked you not to tell anyone. I still have to make it official at work, he is my subordinate after all. It's not against the law per see, but we have to make arrangements with human resources so we play by the rules. Since these procedures are longer than expected, we really can't afford to let people know."

Dejected, Phoenix smiled in understanding. "It's okay, I won't talk about it. But you must promise to tell everyone when everything is under control, okay?" Miles smiled a little and told him, "It was my intention to begin with."

After a rather long silence, Phoenix put his elbow on the table and leaned his cheek on his palm. "I've never thought you'd be the first of us to settle down," he admitted with a sigh. He was looking through the window, so he couldn't make out Miles' expression, but he was pretty sure he was frowning.

"You had another relationship a few years back," Miles remembered him, making him wince. "You were pretty serious, if I recall."

Phoenix closed his eyes in reminiscence. "Yeah, I was", he confessed, "but it couldn't work out and you know why." Miles didn't comment as he knew exactly what he was talking about.

In the end, the prosecutor still argued, "I wouldn't exactly say I have settled down either. Our relationship is still new, but we already have some... issues." At that, Phoenix finally looked at his friend. He was gripping his elbow and looking to the side as he did every time he was in emotional pain.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Asked softly Phoenix. Years ago, Miles would have said no and closed up. In facts, with about anyone else, he wouldn't even have brought it up. But with Phoenix, Miles opened up more easily. They had worked a lot to come to this point, and it hadn't been easy, but it had paid in the end.

"Blackquill, he..." The words seemed difficult to utter, but Phoenix didn't press him. "He has a hard time getting used to life outside prison. It's been a whole year and he still have nightmares every nights. Sometimes, he locks himself in the bathroom for hours and I don't even know what he's doing in there. He told me it calms him down to be in a small room. It remembers him of the cell he has been in for seven years."

Though it was a lot, Phoenix knew it wasn't the worst part of it. Even in his private life, when making an argument, Miles would always try to organize it so the best part would come at the end.

"Even if he's seeing a psychologist, it doesn't seem to be enough. The only one that seems to calm him down when he's suffering... isn't even me." Miles looked ashamed of his own uselessness. Phoenix wanted so much to get up and hug the man until he begged for breath, but he knew it wouldn't help. He knew Miles enough to know physical touches didn't really calm him down. Especially not from him.

"It's Athena, isn't it?" Phoenix asked in a low voice. Miles nodded, looking hurt and sad and perfectly distressed. "I'm not jealous," the prosecutor went on in a slightly shaking voice, "I know he doesn't love her that way. I only feel so utterly useless..."

"I'm sure that's not true," his friend tried to cheer him up. "You gave him a home, that's something big, right? And I'm sure over time he will open up more to you." He added with a smile, "Remember how many years it took me to make you talk?"

Miles smiled in understanding and admitted, "I was still... immature. You, among other things, made me realized how wrong I was. You know I'm indebted to you." His smile changed into a smirk as he teased him, "You owe me a lot, too, don't forget it."

"I won't ever dream of it," replied Phoenix with a smile. After a small silent, he went on, "Just be patient with him, stay available for him, and I'm sure you'll be able to make it through."

Miles nodded and thanked him, "I'm glad I talked to you, Wright."

"Don't mention it," Phoenix beamed at him. "That's what friends are for! You can talk to me whenever you need to!"

They stayed silent for a while, and Phoenix scanned his friend. He changed over the years, but he still looked a lot like his younger self – he wondered if Miles thought the same about him. He was still as attractive as ever, and, for a small second, Phoenix regretted things turned out the way they did. However, the remorse left him as soon as it came. It was for the best, he knew it at the time and he was still sure of it.

"I wonder if I'll ever find someone," asked Phoenix in a whisper. Miles quickly told him, as always, "I'm sure you will. You are an attractive and kind man." This time, though, he added a more personal note, "Someone is bound to see in you the formidable person I see."

Touched by his words, Phoenix looked him in the eyes and they locked gazes for a few seconds. They told so much without saying it out loud it made him dizzy. Phoenix thought back to all the conversations they had about their feelings and he felt overwhelmed. Miles seemed to be in the same condition, because he was the first to avert his eyes.

There was still so much left unsaid, but they both didn't need to say it out loud. Instead, they stayed silent until their teas were finished and some time after. Phoenix was the first to break the silence filled with emotions. "Would you like to go to a restaurant?" He suggested, as casual as he could.

Miles smiled and agreed with a bow, "It would be my pleasure, Wright."

They got out and went to some fancy restaurant, where they talked about safer topics. They bought a bottle of red wine and drank it all in the evening. In the end, Miles insisted to pay. When they parted ways, it was dark outside. Phoenix made his way back to the Agency, feeling happy with himself.

* * *

><p><em>And that's it. He he, I'm so happy, I was able to talk about two ships I really enjoy besides the Hobopollo! It's so awesome!<em>

_So yeah, Simon's partner is finally clear. I'm sure you saw that coming, didn't you? Edgeworth/Blackquill is a ship I enjoy very much, though I must admit it's not really canon, not to mention it's far from a fluffy couple. Still, I ship it, especially since Edgey seems to have done a lot so Simon could prosecute again (he also did a lot for Phoenix but that's just expected)._

_For the WrightWorth, I hesitated to make some because most of the times, when there's past WrightWorth in Hobopollo fics, it makes Edgeworth look like a jerk because we empathize with Phoenix. I love Edgey and I didn't want to make him look like an asshole, but my love for WrightWorth couldn't be tamed down either. After some pondering, it ended up like this. I especially left it quite vague, but I will clarify what exactly went on between these two much later. For now, enjoy the feels! (sorry for those who don't like WrightWorth though...)_

_For the teas, I couldn't help myself and chose the two I enjoy the most. For those who don't know, Earl Grey is a black tea. It is British, though it's made in India usually. As for Genmaicha, it is a Japanese green tea. It has roasted brown rice inside, it gives a taste akin to popcorn. It's really delicious. As far as it concerns tea, they have almost nothing in common. _

_And yeah, I almost forgot the Klapollo... I don't like Klapollo. I sometimes read it only because I love Apollo so much I wanna read everything about him, but I just can't read too much. So I only made hints here because... well, because it will cause drama, of course! And it made Phoenix think about sexual orientations and whatnot, so that's cool. _

_So, until next chapter!_


	11. Chapter 11

_There's gonna be something of a trial and investigation because I need it for the plot, but I won't go into details because I don't want to think of a case (yeah I'm lazy). Anyway, it's not really the point, so I decided to tell only what I really need to._

_I had a hard time writing this chapter so I'll stay once a week for now. Let's say I'll tell you when I go back to twice weekly so I won't have to repeat this every chapter._

_Have a good read!_

* * *

><p>Living with other people had his downsides. Apollo was sure he knew it by now, as he grew up in an orphanage, but it seemed like the years of living alone had made him forget all about it.<p>

There was no problems in the day. Even in the morning, he only had to go jogging and he could scream his heart out in People Park without anyone complaining. In the evening, being with Trucy and Phoenix only felt like usual. No, the huge problem was in the night.

His first night here, he had been too stressed to think about getting out of bed, but it was now his second night and though he was tired as hell and even more, he couldn't for the life of him find sleep. He turned around, so much it was waking him more than making him sleepy, until he had enough and sat up.

Only to realize he couldn't do anything.

His roommates – his family, he corrected himself – were asleep. He couldn't go around and make noise. Well, Trucy would probably sleep through it – she was a deep sleeper, from what he gathered – but he didn't know about Phoenix. He always thought the man was getting his share of sleep and even more, but what if he was the kind to wake up easily?

However, staying in his room would only alienate him even more. He needed to get out, if only to drink a glass of water or go to the toilet. He settled on the latter and walked to his door, wincing when the floor creaked. At least it wasn't loud, but it startled him nonetheless.

He manage to open the door and made his way to the bathroom. After having relieved himself, he went for the kitchen and got a glass of water. He didn't open any lights, in case it would wake up the Wrights. When he was finished, he considered going back to his room, but chose against it and made his way to the living-room.

He plopped down on the couch and opened the TV, muting it before it ever got a chance to make noise. It was hard to understand what was going on without sound, but he couldn't care less. He only wanted to have something to watch, so he wouldn't die of boredom. And there were subtitles anyway.

Unconsciously, he leaned on the couch until he was lying down. His eyes began to close and the television became blurry. He fell asleep before he could muster the courage to get up and go back to his own room.

When Apollo woke up, he now had a blanket on top of him. Remembering very clearly he didn't have one before, he got up quickly and scanned the room. It was still dark, but he could clearly make out the shadow of his boss sitting on the armchair, widely awake.

The younger understood what happened and sat straight up, the blanket still on top of him – he was comfortable with it, he decided. The television was still opened, though it didn't make any noise, so he faked watching it. After a long silence, the older asked softly, "Do you have something on your mind, Polly?"

This made him look his way. Now that he was more accustomed to the dark, he noticed Phoenix seemed concerned. Come to think of it, why was he awake at that hour? It couldn't be past four in the morning, that was sure. So instead of answering, he asked back, "What are you doing here, Boss?"

Phoenix chuckled. "This is my home, I go where I want," he teased. "But what about you? What's troubling your beauty sleep?"

Apollo looked away and admitted, "Nothing much... I always have a hard time falling asleep, or staying asleep for that matter."

Phoenix chuckled softly with a hint of compassion. "I guess that makes two of us, then."

There was a pause, until the younger blurted out, "I always thought you were the kind to sleep soundly."

From the corner of his eyes, he could notice him scratching the back of his head. "Everyone thinks that," he confirmed. "I guess I appear as a pretty carefree man, don't I?" It wasn't really a question, so Apollo stayed silent. He heard some fumbling and noticed the older man got up. He walked to him and asked with a smile, "Can I sit besides you? We can see the television better from the couch and I kind of want to share that blanket. It's chilly, isn't it?"

Apollo only nodded and Phoenix took it as a yes to every of his questions. The younger made nothing of it and let the older slip under the blanket. It wasn't like it was the first time they were doing this. The Wrights had a limited number of blankets and they always needed to share at some point. Come to think of it, this blanket was probably the one Phoenix was using for his own bed now.

They stayed silent a long time, until Apollo felt his eyelids closing again. His head fell on Phoenix's shoulder, but he was so sleepy he made nothing of it. He fell asleep almost right away.

Apollo woke up with a sense of emergency and immediately opened his eyes. He noticed it wasn't dark anymore, though he couldn't tell what time it was. He didn't dwell on it much, though, because something more important caught his attention.

He had a faint recognition of having fallen on Phoenix's shoulder before sleeping, but now they were even more entangled. In his sleep, Apollo had took Phoenix's arms between his own, and he was clutching it like a teddy bear or a pillow. He noticed the older was leaning towards him as well, his free hand dangerously close to one of Apollo's. The younger could have intertwined their fingers if he so desired.

One look to Phoenix's face told him he was still fast asleep. Apollo considered his options. With the way they were sitting, he couldn't get up without waking up his boss, but staying that way seemed like a bad idea, not to mention Apollo needed to get up and go jogging.

However, he felt surprisingly comfortable besides him. Under the blanket, they were so warm, and he knew he would be freezing as soon as he got up. He decided to wait a little and closed his eyes again, leaning once more against Phoenix's shoulder. He wondered if it felt like this, having a real father. Did father and son cuddle that way? It seemed a little too affectionate, but Apollo couldn't really guess as he never had one. He remembered seeing more than once Phoenix and Trucy snuggled to one another, pretty much like they were doing right now, so perhaps it was normal.

Common or not, it was comforting, especially since the older was sleeping – if he had been awake, it would have been awkward as hell. His heartbeat and light snoring calmed him down. Apollo even wondered if he might fall asleep once more. Usually, when he woke up, he couldn't fall asleep again, but it seemed quite possible right now.

He didn't think about anything other than what time it was and when they would have to get up. After quite some time, he felt the body close to him shift a little. He got the cue and let go of Phoenix's arm to look at him. His boss smiled lazily at him and asked, his voice laced with sleepiness, "You awake?"

Apollo hummed in approval and Phoenix closed his eyes once more, as if thinking to go back to sleep. The younger almost complied, but the older unexpectedly opened his eyes once more, seeming more alert now. He looked around the room, noticing it was daytime, and commented, "Huh, it's already morning?"

"Yeah," answered Apollo. "I'm not sure what time it is though."

Phoenix stretched slowly, and Apollo took the opportunity to finally get out of the blanket. As he had predicted, it was cold. He shivered almost immediately, missing the warmth very much. The blanket slid down on Phoenix until it was covering only his legs.

Apollo decided it was time to change in his jogging's attire and made his way to his room. He noticed the time as well, surprised to see it was half past six. He usually woke up around five, maximum six, especially on week days. And he had slept surprisingly well, even if it wasn't much more than usual.

When he came back in the living-room, Phoenix had put some sound on the television to hear the news. He looked up at him and mentioned, "I made some coffee if you want."

"Thanks," he answered, "but I'll go jogging for now."

The older nodded and the younger made his way outside. The jogging and Chords of steel practise helped him clear his head and start the day.

When he came home, Phoenix was dressed up in his suit and Trucy was awake – if he could describe her staring at her cereals and taking bits once every minute as being awake. He took a shower, before eating breakfast in the living-room as usual – to think it was his second day only and he already had his habits.

The teenager, finally awake at last, hugged him and told him to take care before she did the same with her dad. She was soon gone and the two men stayed alone. It made Apollo realize he'd be a lot more alone with him, now.

Athena finally came around, but they didn't do much in the morning. In the afternoon, though, they unexpectedly had a client. It was the wife's main suspect, because he was in the detention centre, obviously. They talked and Phoenix finally agreed to seeing the man in question. The three of them plus the wife made their way to the Detention Centre.

After a discussion with him, it seemed like he wasn't the true culprit. With Phoenix's Magatama, Athena's super hearing and Apollo's bracelet, it seemed impossible not to catch any lie. He lied on one aspect – the reason he was seen near the crime scene before the murder –, but he really didn't when he told them he wasn't a murderer.

Phoenix accepted to take the case, but the woman requested Athena as an attorney. Apparently, she was a feminist and she wanted her husband to be defended by a woman, if possible. Apollo immediately suggested he'd assist Athena, leaving Phoenix out of the loop. Their boss didn't object, though, and told them he trusted them.

For the time being, Phoenix decided that, if he wasn't to work on the case, he might as well go back to the Agency. In case there was another client, of course. Apollo and Athena, on the other hand, went to the crime scene. The trial was the next day, after all, so there was no time to lose.

The crime happened in a park earlier that morning. The place was flooding with forensics and police officer investigating. Apollo and Athena made their way, showing their badges to anyone who wanted to know who they were, and soon they arrived near the body. It hadn't been a pretty death. The guy's neck was cracked in a way it shouldn't be. Apollo reasoned he must have been hit to the side of the head with a blunt object.

Before they could truly investigate, they heard a voice they recognized easily and spotted one detective with a green coat. He made his way towards them and greeted them, "Hey, Mr Justice, Ms Cykes! You're defending the suspect, pals?"

Gumshoe, the detective they've worked a lot with after Fulbright was unmasked, made them his grin. He had been happy to work with them ever since he learnt they were Wright's employees. He was always eager to help, unless some prosecutor ordered him not to. Out of all the detectives he ever worked with, Apollo thought he was the easiest to deal with.

"Detective Gumshoe!" Greeted Athena. "Yes, we're defending Mr Grey!"

"Can you tell us what you know?" Asked Apollo.

Gumshoes scratched his cheek with a sheepish expression. Apollo immediately knew something was wrong. Looking dejected, the detective admitted, "Look, pal, I'm really sorry, but I can't. Just, I don't know, look around? And ask forensics. That's all I can tell you!"

He looked really frantic. Apollo guessed the prosecutor asked him to shut his trap. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time. Though it was annoying, he couldn't really do much about this. They could always ask him more when they gather some proofs to show him. Athena pouted but she told him, "Okay, we'll look around! But you shouldn't let prosecutors control you!"

Gumshoe laughed pathetically and admitted, "They're kind of my bosses, pal. If I get more pay cuts, I will have to pay for working." Though what he said was depressing, the man only laughed it out. He must have been used to it, Apollo mused. It made him wonder how often his salary had been cut.

Gumshoe mentioned he had to go help his coworkers and the attorneys made their way to the corpse once more. They asked around and, while they couldn't obtain the autopsy report yet – the body was still there – they managed to get a hold of the murder weapon. It was a baseball bat, covered with blood. Apparently, there wasn't any fingerprints left, and no traces of it having been cleaned. The killer must have worn gloves.

They looked around, pocketed some evidences, until they were sure they had everything they needed. From what they could gather, the prosecution's case was built on witness statement – they couldn't meet the witness, though – and circumstantial proofs. Apart from the witness, they had nothing conclusive.

Speaking of the prosecution, before they got out of the park, Apollo wondered, "By the way, where's the prosecutor in charge?"

Athena looked thoughtful and told him, "I'm pretty sure it's not Simon, because he told me he had another case. Maybe it's Prosecutor Gavin?" Apollo winced. Though Klavier was a good opponent in court, he didn't really want to face him yet with what happened. But he would still be better than Payne, at least.

It turned out it was neither of them. A woman with short silver hair made her way towards the body, exulting confidence and fearlessness. She had a whip with her, Apollo noticed, and she was dressed in a way that remembered him of the Chief prosecutor, but she wore a skirt and her clothes weren't a bright magenta but a less flashy black, white and blue. From both those observations, he could clearly deduce who she was. He did know everything there was to know about Phoenix's older cases, after all.

Athena and Apollo observed as the woman met with Gumshoe and whipped him. They weren't close enough to understand what they were talking about, but she seemed annoyed. After their little talk, the woman turned her attention towards them and promptly made her way to greet them. "You are Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes, Phoenix Wright's subordinate?"

Apollo nodded and Athena agreed aloud. Before they could say anything, the prosecutor went on in a cold tone, "I suppose you will have to do. Don't get in the way of my investigation and don't even think you can bluff your way to victory like your boss. I won't allow any foolish behaviour, is that clear?" She showed them her whip and slapped it in midair.

She was very obviously trying to frighten them so they would stay put. The worst was that it was working – for Apollo, at least. He swallowed and remembered how Phoenix hinted she would most likely use that whip on him at least ten times during a day of trial. He really didn't look forward to it.

Athena, with her obvious grin, mentioned, "Oh no, we don't usually rely on bluffs, Polly and I. He detects people's nervous habits when they lie and I use psychology to identify strange emotions." For one second, Apollo wondered if she explained it that way just so Franziska would whip her, but since he didn't know her as a masochist, he decided it must be pure 'foolishness'.

As if to prove his point, Franziska clicked her tong and tried to whip her, her mouth already forming the word 'fool' and its variations. However, she never managed to hit the girl, as she caught the whip midair and stopped it. Apollo, startled, moved farther away from them both, remembering all to well his first encounter with Athena. He tended to forget it in everyday life, but Athena was actually good in fights.

Franziska looked startled and tried to bring back her whip, but Athena held to it with a smile. They both looked at one another for a long time, the prosecutor obviously glaring and the attorney being her usual cheerful self. After some time, though, Athena finally let go and told her, "That's a good whip, where did you buy it?"

Apollo noted Franziska seemed distraught, but she answered nevertheless, "I had it custom-made back in Germany."

"That's so awesome!" The girl grinned. "Hey, Polly," she turned around to talk to him, "I should have a weapon too! Simon uses Taka and she's using a whip, that's so totally cool!" She seemed genuinely awed and Apollo briefly wondered if the Dark age of the law was really all over. "Oh, by the way," beamed the yellow-suited woman back to Franziska, "I didn't catch your name...?"

"Franziska von Karma," answered the older with an almost impressed look on her face. "Pleased to meet you, Athena Cykes." With that, she bowed very elegantly. Apollo noticed she never once turned towards him. He was getting the cold shower, he guessed. Oh well, if it meant he wouldn't get whipped, he wouldn't complain.

"You too, Franny!" she answered.

The woman winced and slapped her whip, seemingly displeased with the nickname. "I never mentioned you could be so familiar with me, Athena Cykes."

"Just call me Athena," the younger girl counterattacked. Franziska clicked her tongue again, but she didn't contradict her that time. Instead, she explained, "I have an investigation to get back to. I shall see you in court, Athena Cykes." Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and walked towards the detective, whipping him before he even said a word. Apollo felt bad for Gumshoe, as he was clearly suffering from the aftermath of what Athena did.

Athena still had a smile on her face. On closer inspection, she seemed happier than usual. She glanced at him and told him, as if he hadn't been ignored at all, "She's sexy, don't you think?"

This was surely a rhetorical question, because Athena should know he'd have no answer to that. He muttered, more for himself, "If by 'sexy', you meant 'scary', then sure, she is."

She was very clearly lost above the clouds because she didn't acknowledge his comment at all. "And that whip, oh my god," she said instead, looking very much... lovestruck, if anything. Apollo was starting to get very uncomfortable. He nudged her on the shoulder and prompted her, "Athena, we have a trial to prepare, you remember?"

She finally snapped out of it and looked at him sheepishly. "Yes, you're right, Polly."

With that, they exited the park, silent for a moment. However, as soon as they were outside of it, Athena stopped and said suddenly, "I should ask her out." She tempered almost immediately, "Or at least get her number."

Apollo sighed and took her wrist in case she would try to get back to Franziska. "Get serious, Athena! We have a trial tomorrow! At least wait until it ends!"

She finally looked him in the eyes. All of a sudden, her face fell. Without breaking eye contact, she confessed, "The truth is, I think I'm in love."

Now he couldn't contain his surprise. "WHAT? Athena, you just met her!"

"I know," she said, grinning dreamily, "but I felt the shiver and the butterflies! You know what I mean?"

"No," he admitted truthfully. He never felt in love at first sight, he didn't even believe it was truly possible. It looked like something very absurd to him. How can you tell you love someone if you don't know them at all?

"Oh, you're no fun," she teased him. "But seriously, though, I really think I'm in love. What should I do? It's my first time ever! What if she doesn't like women? Oh my god, what if she finds me too foolish!?" She was getting frantic, even panicked. Apollo felt a headache coming. This wasn't good. How was she supposed to defend their client if she only thought about Franziska?

"Did I make a good first impression, Polly?" She looked straight in his eyes, so obviously waiting for an answer. Apollo gulped and tried to be honest, "You made an impression, I'm sure of it, but..." he trailed off, not knowing how to finish that.

"... you think she finds me shallow?" She looked desperate, now, and Apollo looked at her seriously.

"Get yourself together, Athena! We have a client to defend! Mr Grey's life is in the line right now, it's not time to think about anything else!"

She pouted. "I know, Polly, but I can't stop thinking about her! Just... just let me think this through first, okay?"

Apollo sighed – there was no going around it, he guessed. "Okay... if you need me to, I can always take your place..."

"No!" She immediately turned him down. "I want to face her in court. Maybe I'll be able to impress her!"

'As long as you don't do it only to impress her', Apollo wanted to say, but he stayed silent instead. They finally started walking towards the Agency. Maybe Phoenix would be able to beat some sense into her.

Apollo for his part didn't know what to do at all. For him, love always came without him noticing and he never really worked to get anyone – though it also meant he never really had anyone, if you excluded that one and only relationship he had in his teenage years. He never experienced something remotedly close to what Athena was feeling.

They made it in one piece and found Phoenix on the couch, reading something. From the look of it, it was a novel. Apollo knew that despite not being much of a reader, Phoenix did read books from time to time. He welcomed them and asked, after they were all seated, "So, how did the investigation go? Any leads?"

Apollo answered instead of Athena – who seemed lost in her thoughts as she sat down on the armchair, "From what we could gather, the prosecution's case relies mostly on a witness. If we can find inconsistencies in the testimony, we should be able to get something. The bad news is we couldn't find conclusive proof either. The murder weapon don't have any fingerprints and there doesn't seem to be another possible suspect for now. I guess we'll have to stall for time tomorrow."

"We never get the easy cases," admitted Phoenix with a chuckle. "Oh well, I'm sure we'll be 'fine', Polly." He smiled slyly, obviously teasing him. Before Apollo could complain, he went on, "By the way, who's the prosecutor?"

Apollo's face fell immediately and Athena took the opportunity to make herself known again. "It's Prosecutor Franziska von Karma."

Phoenix looked surprised, but his face eased quickly in understanding. "Edgeworth did mention she would get home soon, but I didn't know it would be that quick."

"Wasn't she working for Interpol?" Asked Apollo. From what Phoenix told him, she had been working oversee for a long time now. Phoenix looked thoughtful before he answered, "Yeah, I'm not sure why exactly, but she decided to stop for a while and settled down. Maybe she was tired from always flying around the world? Though that's more like Edgeworth..."

As they pondered silently, Athena asked very softly, "Boss, you know her well, right?"

He looked at her while answering, "Well, I wouldn't say I know her 'well', but I guess I do know some things."

Athena seemed almost shy – Apollo thought this was maybe a first – when she asked, her cheeks a little red and her eyes evasive, "Do you think she likes women?"

Phoenix gasped – he very clearly didn't expect that. Apollo was about to comment that they had better things to talk about now – what about their trial, for example –, but their boss settled down quickly and admitted, "She's completely lesbian. Men don't even interest her in the slightest. I know it from Edgeworth, so it must be true."

Athena looked relieved, but she still asked, "And do you think she might be interested in me?"

Phoenix seemed like he couldn't contain it and asked back, "Thena, don't tell me you fell in love with her!?"

The girl admitted with a nervous laugh, "Yeah, I guess..." Phoenix muttered something in his breath, but he quickly got hold of himself. "Thena, I didn't see her with you so I can't tell, but I think you have good chances. I mean, she's interested in strong girls and you pretty much aren't foolish... how did it go by the way?"

Apollo stood up to make his point and told them, containing his annoyance to seem only serious and not angry, "Ahem, we have a trial tomorrow, remember? How about we talk strategy?"

Both looked up at him with surprise in their eyes. Phoenix was the first to admit, "Yeah, you're right. Thena?" The girl looked up to him. "We'll talk about this later, 'kay?"

"Okay," she conceded in defeat. Apollo sat back down and started to show his boss the evidence he found. As he had thought, it wasn't nearly enough. Some did hint to another suspect, but they didn't know who yet.

They talked and re-read everything until Trucy came back from school and long after that. The teenage girl prepared them sandwiches when they clearly didn't notice it was past seven o-clock and they ate while still working. It was almost ten when Phoenix finally insisted Athena should go and try to catch some sleep so she wouldn't fall asleep on the bench at the trial. She agreed and was quick to go home.

When she was gone, Phoenix and Apollo stayed alone in the living-room – Trucy was in her room, most likely getting ready to go to bed soon. Apollo sat back down to review one more time the evidences, in case he didn't notice something, but Phoenix took everything away with a smile. "What I said to Athena applies to you as well, young man. Try to get some sleep."

"I won't be able to sleep," stated Apollo, but he let out a yawn just after that. Phoenix pointed his finger to him and teased him, "I can see a contradiction, Polly!" Apollo grumbled, but he got up nonetheless. Before making his way to his own room to get in some pyjamas, he looked back to Phoenix and asked, "What about you, boss?"

The older scratched the back of his head and smiled at him, "I don't have a trial tomorrow, so I can stay awake longer. Don't mind me." Apollo looked at him, squinting his eyes for lies, but he finally shook his head and went to his room.

As predicted, he couldn't, for the life of him, fall asleep. After an hour, he gave up completely and got up one more time, making his way for the living-room. Phoenix was still there, watching a movie without any sound. He heard him coming and turned to him. "What are you doing up, Polly?"

"Can't sleep," he answered truthfully. Before his boss could complain, he plopped down besides him and stole part of the blanket. They were really close to one another, but, strangely enough, Apollo didn't mind. The dark of the night helped – in broad day light, he would have gotten farther away.

"You seem sleepy though," commented Phoenix with a chuckle. Apollo didn't find it in him to contradict him and closed his eyes. After some time, the older commented, "Hey, Polly, you can't sleep here."

"Why not?" he mumbled, ready to fall asleep at anytime.

"Because you'll be all sore tomorrow. You slept here yesterday also, don't you remember?" Apollo opened his eyes and nodded, but made no movements to move away. Staying here with Phoenix was still better than watching the ceiling in his room.

"I always sleep better on a couch," he told Phoenix. They were both looking at the television, though it was obvious neither of them paid it much attention. "Maybe it's because I'm not supposed to sleep, you know. At the orphanage, we had a curfew, but I never was ready to go to sleep, so I'd stay awake and think about this and that. I would even read or write in my diary under the blanket, with a flashlight I borrowed. I always caught up with my sleep in the day, when I wasn't supposed to. I think... I was making a statement."

Phoenix chuckled and commented, "You were being rebellious? I don't know why but it doesn't surprise me."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Apollo explained, "Well, I never did anything really bad, but I had my temper. As long as they left me alone, though, I wouldn't cause any trouble. I wanted to become an attorney, after all."

"Come to think of it," Phoenix mentioned, "you never really told me why you became an attorney."

Apollo blushed and looked to the side. "Ah," he admitted, "the truth is, I saw you, at one of your trials, and I thought you were cool... so I wanted to be like you." He had hinted he'd been a fan of Phoenix, but it was the first time he confessed in clear words and it made him feel awkward.

His new father's arm got out of the blanket and made its way behind Apollo, so it was resting on top on the couch's back. His hand grab the shoulder farther away from him and Phoenix made him lean closer to him. Apollo sniffed his scent without meaning to and realized he already thought of it like home.

They stayed that way, until Phoenix asked, full of irony, "I guess you were disappointed when you met me."

"My whole life crashed down," he confirmed. "It wasn't only you, but... Everything in my life fell apart in one trial and I... I pinned it all on you at the time. Without you, Mr Gavin wouldn't have been convicted. Without you, I wouldn't be without a job. Without you, I wouldn't have realized..." He stopped before he said something really incriminating. He didn't think any of that anymore, but he felt ashamed now that he did at one point. Phoenix obviously wasn't guilty of any of that.

Phoenix held him tighter and confessed, "I wasn't at my best. I... I'm sorry, Polly. My pride was hurt and I wanted to get my badge back on my own. I used you to that end without confiding in you. I manipulated you. Even with Thalassa... I should have told you sooner."

Apollo really didn't want to talk about all of this. It was in the past, and he really thought it was best to leave it there. They were happy, now, and it wasn't like there was any dark secrets or hard feelings between them anymore. Not to mention he really didn't want to talk or think about his mother.

"Can we just... talk about something else?" He pleaded in a small voice.

Phoenix stayed silent for a long moment, but at some point he finally changed subject, "So why the couch, then? I understand you sleep better when you're not supposed to, but..."

Relieved they were back to a safer topic, Apollo happily explained, "About that... when I was a teenager, I would often sleep at Clay's house. We would spend the day or the evening at the space centre and then we wanted to stay together longer so we crashed at his home. Since he had lost his mother, his father was mostly absent and we always had the house to us. We sat on the couch and watched movies, but we never managed to watch even one until the end, because we'd be fast asleep in a matter of minutes. We did it so much it stayed, I guess... back at my apartment, I often didn't open the couch and slept with the television. Especially after Clay died..."

And he thought it was a safer topic! Apollo closed his eyes and focused so he wouldn't cry. He never cried in front of his boss before, and he didn't want to now, but even after a whole year, Clay's death was still hurting so much. Why did he have to die? Why did the Phantom have to kill him, of all people? He didn't even need to, he only had to grab the damn moon rock!

Phoenix made comforting strokes with his hand and Apollo remembered how close they were. He made nothing of it, though, and buried himself deeper in his chest. It was warm, it smelled good, and his heartbeat was comforting. It made him recall how Clay and him would cuddle when falling asleep in front of the TV. They were pretty touchy-feely with one another. It only felt natural back then.

"It's okay to cry, Polly," Phoenix softly told him. It made Apollo realize he was already crying.

He was pathetic, crying like this after so much time. He knew it wouldn't help, he knew it wouldn't change anything at all, but he still let his tears fall on Phoenix's clothes, damping them. Phoenix was shushing him and making small comments, telling him he'd be fine.

After some time, the boundary he established in his mind broke down, letting him think about everything he always avoided to. It only made him feel all the more broken, all the more ashamed, and through all of that, he wondered how he was still able to live his life. He lost the one girl he loved so much in his teenage years because he was a coward. After that, he had only ever loved people that didn't feel the same way. Including one that toyed mercilessly with his feelings and didn't even feel any regret.

He had lost his friend, the only one he really felt comfortable with, and then he learnt his mother was still alive. The mother who abandoned him. She was alive, she remembered him, but she wasn't the one to tell him – Phoenix did, and way later than when he learnt it. He hated her, he couldn't even find interest in her. He felt nothing but contempt towards her no matter how much he felt like a jerk for it. She couldn't pretend now she wanted to be his mother when she didn't for more than twenty years.

He was glad Trucy was his sister, but even that had been a shock. He couldn't help but think, what if they had gotten closer? What if he had fallen in love with her? Only to learn she was his sister? That would have been awful! And Phoenix didn't tell them even though he knew it!

Thinking of Phoenix... Apollo was really lost about him. He had every reason to love and hate him at the same time. He couldn't say he forgave him for not telling him about his family or for being so cryptic and manipulative when they first met. But he also knew Phoenix's good side, how he cared for people he loved and how he believed in them. Even if it had hurt him, he was glad to know the truth about Kristoph.

And now, the man he had first idolized only to hate about as much was hugging him tightly, telling him he would always be there for him. The man that was first his hero, then his sort of boss, then an almost-mentor, only to become his adoptive father, was the one comforting him when he needed it.

Apollo finally stopped crying, but he didn't budge and Phoenix didn't complain. They stayed under the blanket and the younger closed his eyes. He fell asleep easily, almost too easily, surrounded by Phoenix's warmth and scent.

* * *

><p><em>Apollo and Phoenix get to act all cute and hug and kya. I hope it's not too much, though. Everything they do is something I'd easily do with my own father (except maybe falling asleep), but it may be different for guys, I'm not sure. Well, even if it is, they're not exactly normal anyway. Their relationship is already pretty ambiguous so let's say it's perfectly normal.<em>

_Franziska finally appeared in this chapter! I had a hard time trying to find how old she would be, but I calculated she would be around 28. I'm trying to make her more mature, but I'm not sure about how I wrote her. And Athena being lovestruck is also difficult to write. Arg. I didn't want her to appear silly, but it's difficult when I'm writing from Apollo's POV, as he doesn't believe in love at first sight at all. I'm sorry if you find him intolerant, by the way, it's just that he doesn't understand it's a big deal for Athena._

_I also made Gumshoe reappear because I really like him. I was so sad he didn't appear in Dual Destinies. They didn't even mention him! I'm sure he's still a detective. He couldn't be anything else, that would be so sad. So here he is!_

_Until next week!_


	12. Chapter 12

_I'm sorry I didn't update last Monday... my chapter wasn't ready and, yeah... my bad. But I'm here now! I can't really promise I'll be able to publish next week, but, well... we'll see! Please bear with me! By the way, this story's now over 50'000 words, I can't believe it! And I feel like I've told so little yet... it's gonna be so huge, I tell you! At the very least 100'000 words! I've never written so much for one story, this story has me really motivated! Yay!_

_I thought at first I'd do this chapter from Athena's POV (because of the Franziska/Athena), but we had her POV not that long ago and I could really use a Phoenix's POV about now (a lot happened to the Hobopollo last chapter after all). Soo we're back with our senior attorney! And something incredible happens, ho ho! (though all in all it's really not much... I'm still excited yay!)_

_Oh and I had to rewrite the end twice, because I'm apparently not good at remembering what I've written before and yeah... It was a lot of trouble, urg. Well, at least I realized what I wrote couldn't happen before publishing. That would have been awful. Gah._

_Have a good read!_

* * *

><p>Phoenix looked down at the paper in front of him with a content smile. He only needed one last signature and it would be an official document deeming Apollo as his son.<p>

It made him remember the other time he had filled such a form. Back then, he didn't really know what he was doing, except that he had to help Trucy. What he would understand only later was that he needed her almost as much, if not even more, than she needed him. His life was a mess back then, but in the end he was able to sort it all out, with the help of his cute little darling daughter.

He smiled in pure glee as he pictured Trucy in his head. She was his little sun in a life too often dark. He knew he would have to let her go at some point so she could make her own life, but for now he wanted to keep her close to him. Her and her brother Apollo, of course. Which was the whole point of this paper he was looking at right now.

Thinking of Apollo, Phoenix wondered how the trial was going. It wouldn't be an easy case, but he knew they would be able to discover the truth. Athena and Apollo were his employees, he trusted them with his life. Apollo had defended him once, and he would let Athena do the same any day. Not that he planned on getting accused of murder a fourth time. Three was more than enough.

He would have gone to cheer them on, but he decided filling the adoption's paper was a better idea. The sooner the better, right? And it was the perfect opportunity to do so, as his understudies were both busy. The only thing left was for Apollo to sign it and then they would be officially a family.

Phoenix leaned back on his chair and turned around to look through the window. He was looking right to the Gatewater hotel, but he didn't care as he was mostly in his thoughts. The whole adoption made him think about Apollo and thinking about Apollo made him remember what happened the night before.

What he felt when Apollo clung to him, crying desperately, was mainly a blend of two things. The first feeling happened a lot when Trucy was young and she couldn't sleep. She would often wake up in the middle of the night, frightened because of a nightmare, and then she would ask if she could sleep with him. Phoenix would say yes, of course, because he didn't know how to say no to her, and they would cuddle in his bed until morning came. At these times, he always felt a surge of affection and protectiveness.

The other emotion he felt was something he only ever experienced with Miles, though it was more than once. He didn't know how to phrase it as it was something you have to live to truly understand, but it always came to him when he finally managed to make him open up to him. The first time had been with the DL-6 case, when he had to defend him and Miles finally admitted to having feelings. And then it happened a lot more after that. It was a mix of pride, happiness and sadness at the same time – as what he had to say most of the time was heart-wrenching.

It was the first time Phoenix felt these two distinct emotions at the same time, and it made him realize he still had a lot to learn about himself. What was sure, though, was that he was glad Apollo finally, after all this time, opened up to him. But each time he pictured him looking so hurt, it made his heart churn inside him.

As he had thought, Clay's death was still affecting him very much. He wanted to help him so bad, but there was a limit to what he could do. Being there was pretty much all he could help with. And giving him the family he so deserved.

Phoenix decided to get up as he clearly wasn't doing anything productive. He let the adoption's paper on his desk and wandered back to the living room. He fell on the couch and grabbed the novel he had decided to begin the day before. He wasn't much of a reader, but once in a while, he could really enjoy a book.

Right now, though, he found he couldn't concentrate – his mind was filled with Apollo. After having read the same page four times, he got up once more and went to make some coffee. As the machine worked, he leaned on the counter and winced as his back hurt a little.

Sleeping twice on the couch hadn't help his back, but it had help him get more sleep. As he had already figured out, sleeping with someone really was the key to cure his own insomnia. He felt a little bad for using Apollo that way, but the kid seemed like he slept better too, so maybe it was for the best after all.

Not that he intended to do it again. The first time had been a fluke, and the second was because of Apollo's state. It wasn't something you did with your twenty-four years old son, no matter how you looked at it.

When the coffee was ready, he got a cup and sat back down on the couch, opening the television. It was the afternoon, and by that time the trial was most likely finished. He concluded it was extended and Athena and Apollo had to investigate some more. Oh well, they'd come back at some point, and then he could see if he could help them.

For now, he leaned back and tried to enjoy the show. Trucy got home at some point and she sat down besides him to give him a hug. The father, while smiling fondly, asked her, "How was your day, sweetie?"

"Wonderful!" She answered, as enthusiast as ever. "There's this boy in my class, he'll come see me at my show next Wednesday! Amazing, huh?"

Phoenix winced a little, noticing his daughter was blushing a little. She was at that age now, he mused, when she'd become interested in boys – well, she was for a while now, but he still had a hard time coming around it. It wasn't the first time she hinted to having a crush on someone, but to Phoenix's knowledge, she never had a boyfriend yet. She would have told him, wouldn't she? He asked her, trying to be casual about it, "He's your classmate?"

"Yeah," she answered dreamily, "he's in math and history with me and, hey, he's studying hypnosis on the side! That's why he wanna see my show! That's amazing, right?" She was smiling and Phoenix felt worry wash over him.

"You shouldn't let him hypnotize you," he ordered her seriously. "You don't know what he could make you do!"

She beamed at him, so perfectly naive. "It's okay, Daddy, you can't do something you really don't wanna do in hypnosis!" She paused before admitting, "At least, that's what he said!"

Phoenix sighed, knowing he couldn't convince her no matter what. He settled on, "Don't let him hypnotize you if you're alone with him, okay? Scratch that, don't be alone with him at all!"

Trucy's smile took on a teasing note and she hugged him. "You worry too much, Daddy! I'll be fine! He's not dangerous, you know! He's my age!" She didn't know what boys her age did, did she? Phoenix hugged her back and kissed her head, before making her promise, "Be prudent, that's all I'm asking."

"Okay," she said as she let go. In an attempt to change subjects, she asked, "So, where's Polly and Thena?"

"I suppose the trial's been reconvened," he guessed, "so they must be investigating."

"It'd be cool if we had another client, huh?" She grinned, getting excited, "We could be investigating together. Father and daughter. That'd be so totally cool!"

He smiled fondly and took her hat off to pet her on the head. "Yeah, that would be cool, but you have school, Truce."

"It didn't stop me two years ago," she argued. "And I was investigating with a guy you barely knew. Polly could have kidnapped me and had his way with me!"

He chuckled, the thought so alien it didn't even manage to scare him. Apollo, kidnapping Trucy? He was the last one he expected to act that way! "He would never do something like that."

"You're right," she admitted and got a little more serious, "but you didn't know him that well back then."

Thoughtful, he let go of his daughter's head to settle on her shoulders while she snuggled to him. Even if she was seventeen now, she still was as touchy-feely as when she was a little girl, something Phoenix was ever so grateful for. Without thinking, he admitted, "I trusted him ever since he punched me for giving him shady evidence. I thought, if he was that angry even though I made him win, then he was someone I could trust blindly."

After a pause, Trucy commented, "That was really deep."

His free hand slipped through his hair and he chuckled, feeling a little sheepish. "Anyway, I trusted him and I trusted you, so I had nothing to fear. And, well, I had other stuff to think about back then..."

Silence filled the room for some time, both Wrights deep in their thoughts, until Trucy worked out of her father's embrace and got up. "I have homework," she announced, "and I'm supposed to meet Pearly later tonight, so I have to get going."

Phoenix smiled at his almost niece's mention and told his daughter, "Sweetie, tell Pearls I'd really like to see her some time, okay? She can come over whenever she wants!"

"Okay, I'll tell her!" And with that, she was off to her room.

Phoenix stayed in the living-room for a while until he remembered he forgot to tell her about the adoption's paper. It wasn't that important anyway, so he decided he'd tell her when she would be free.

When dinner time came around, his understudies still weren't back, so Phoenix got up and walked to Trucy's room to ask her if she would eat. She answered she was eating with her best friend and admitted she had to go. Phoenix saw her off before going into the kitchen.

There wasn't much in his fridge, but he settled on something and made enough so Athena and Apollo could eat when they would finally get home. He was still all alone when he finished cooking, though, and he decided to wait a while longer.

Finally, passed seven, they both came around, looking as tired as could be. He welcomed them with a smile and a, "You're looking exhausted."

"Don't start me," Apollo, with a wince, warned him. "Prosecutor von Karma is so annoying, I don't know how Athena cope up with her."

Athena, at the prosecutor's mention, lighted up and admitted, "She was so cool on the prosecutor's bench!"

Phoenix chuckled as Apollo seemed unimpressed. Before she could go on on Franziska's prowess, the red-suited attorney explained, "We managed to discredit her witness, but then she came up with some explanation that only managed to make our client look guiltier. It made the judge reconvene the trial, at least, but it really doesn't help us."

Before he could explain every little details, Phoenix cut in, "Sorry, Polly, but, before you go on, we really should eat."

"I'm starving," Athena chipped in. "We didn't have time to eat with all that investigation."

The older smiled and moved them to the kitchen, where the dinner was ready to get eaten. They sat down quickly and began eating while discussing the case. It really wasn't an easy one, but they would get through somehow. They found some really useful clues that day and Phoenix had good hope they would be able to get a Not Guilty verdict on Monday. Unless, of course, Franziska came up with something else.

They talked about the case until Trucy came back, at around ten in the evening. She sat with them and Phoenix took on him to explain everything to her while his employees were skimming through the evidence one more time. She commented and made one very good observation which could make them win the case. The older hugged her and thanked her before showing the other two lawyers what his daughter came up with.

"Wow, you'd make a great attorney, Truce!" Commented Athena, clearly awed. "She investigated a lot with me before you came to the Agency," Apollo admitted, looking proud of his little sister. Touched, Phoenix petted him on the head and he complained, but didn't stop him.

"You're so cute," Widget blurted out. Athena smiled and added, "I never saw a family acting so cute!" With that one comment, she managed to make the three of them flush. Or maybe not Trucy, after all. She only smiled wider and high-fived with Athena, agreeing, "It's because we're Wright!"

They couldn't help but laugh, even though the joke was so old by now. After that, Trucy told them she was sleepy. Athena got the cue and thanked her one more time before making her way to the door. This left Apollo alone with Phoenix.

After an awkward silence, Apollo said, "We should go to bed too."

"Yeah, I guess," answered Phoenix. However, the younger made no move towards his room and stayed where he was, near the front door. Phoenix himself stood near the couch. He planned on sitting down, but he had a feeling that, if he did now, it would trigger Apollo to do the same. And he didn't want that – he wanted the younger attorney to go to his own bed. "Polly...?" He asked, hoping it would make him react.

The younger looked up to him, obviously lost in his thoughts. "Yeah?"

"... Weren't you going to bed?" This startled him and he straightened up. He shook his head, as if shushing away some thoughts, and commented, "Yeah, right..."

Apollo was obviously thinking about something, but Phoenix guessed it had to do with their investigation, so he let it slide. When he saw Apollo walking towards his room, he finally sat down on the couch and tried to find the remote. He spotted it on the small table and grabbed it, opening the television. He muted it and tried to find something to watch.

A small sound behind him made him jump and he turned around quickly. Apollo was there, looking at him as if he was as surprised as Phoenix himself. "What are you still doing here, Polly?"

The younger looked lost for one second, before he admitted, "Euhm, I thought you were going to bed, so, you know, I... I thought I should go through the evidence once more and... yeah..."

"Polly," he admonished him, "you need your sleep, too. You know everything there is to know about this case and tomorrow is Saturday anyway."

"I..." he hesitated, "I suppose, yeah." Looking closely at him, Phoenix noticed he was most likely lying, or not being truly honest. Phoenix didn't have his magatama, so he couldn't tell which one it was.

They stared at one another for some time, until Phoenix sighed. "You wanna sleep on the couch once more?" By the look on his face, Phoenix had guessed right. His hesitation made sense, then. "There's no helping it, is there?"

Apollo's face lighted up a little and he moved towards the couch, settling besides him. As soon as he was sitting, Phoenix stood up. Trying to be casual, he told him, "Well, I guess I'll go to sleep then."

In a puzzled tone, his son asked, "Weren't you going to watch TV?"

A little flushed, Phoenix scratched his head and looked for an answer good enough. "Well... yeah, I guess, but, euhm, if you're gonna sleep, I don't want to disturb you." It could have went better, but it was still something.

"You don't disturb me," answered Apollo, in a very matter-of-fact manner. This made it all the more difficult to argue.

Spotting his book on the small table, Phoenix made for it and showed it to the younger, "Oh, but I think I'll be reading instead. It'll help me fall asleep better, I think. It should, at least. They say television's bad for sleep anyway." Great, now he was rambling.

This time, the younger seemed to get the cue and, though looking disbelieving, he said, "Okay then, good night, boss!"

Relieved, Phoenix went to give him a quick hug and wished him a good night. He quickly retreated to his office and closed the door, before falling on his couch. He really looked forward to having his own television: there was no way he'd be able to concentrate on a book that late. But he was trapped in his room until morning, as Apollo would surely spend the night in the living-room.

He didn't even try to read and made his bed, before closing the light. Wide awake in the dark, he laid in his bed, thinking. He could have thought about something useful, like their case for example, but no, his mind didn't work that way apparently. Instead his thoughts fluttered from one subject to another, never truly stopping on any. It was like his mind refused to focus on anything at all.

He spent most of the night that way, until he was finally able to fall asleep. He woke up too early, as usual, and really wished he could have someone to sleep with. It was high time he found a lover.

Sighing, he sat up and wondered why he had to think such depressing thoughts so early in the morning. It wasn't like he chose to be alone, but life just seemed to get in the way of all the relationships he ever tried to have. Not to mention his disbarment really didn't help.

When his last relationship ended, he had pretty much deduced he wasn't meant for it. He had a daughter to take care of, and now he had work and many friends to make more time for. If he couldn't even see Maya as much as he'd like, how could he find the time to date?

Not to mention he wasn't up to casual flings anymore. He needed someone stable and, what's more, someone who could understand just how close he was to some people. He really needed someone that wasn't jealous easily or at all. After all, if you excluded just how dearly he felt for Maya, he still loved as much as ever two of his exes which he happened to see on a regular basis. Oh, and if it wasn't enough, the feelings were mutual – only the circumstances made him break up with them. He didn't want to get back with either of them, but feelings weren't things you could just shot down. He needed someone that could understand he was able to love more than one person at a time.

He sighed once more, feeling depressed all over. The chances for him to find someone who could accept such conditions were slim. He thought the last woman he tried to date understood him pretty well until he explained that and his somewhat unclear orientation. She slapped him and got out of his life completely. That had been a shock and made him have even more cold feet. It wasn't like he could keep his feelings for himself, either. He was an honest kind of guy, he couldn't date someone he couldn't be honest with.

He leaned down once more and turned to the side, feeling a weight on his chest. He closed his eyes, tried to take a deep breath and think of something else, but it didn't help. Instead he pictured the two person he still loved up to now and, though he knew both these relationships weren't meant to be, it still hurt as much as it did when he came to that same conclusion.

Before he started crying, he stood up to shush his thoughts. It was still early, but he needed to get out of his room, before he succumbed to his dark thoughts.

When he stepped inside the living-room, he immediately noticed Apollo. He was still asleep, curled up underneath his blanket. The television was closed. Phoenix sat on the armchair and settled on observing his employee. Apollo looked really peaceful when he was asleep, something Phoenix really wasn't used to. It warmed him and he smiled despite himself.

Apollo really shared some traits with Trucy, he noted despite himself. Even if they wanted to deny it, they were siblings through and through. Without thinking, Phoenix extended his right hand until his fingers touched slightly his forehead. He pushed away some hair that were on his eyes in a fond gesture. Since Apollo didn't stir in his sleep, he went a little down and caressed lightly his cheekbone with his thumb. His hand went through his hair after that, noticing the gel wasn't keeping it in place anymore.

Naturally, his hand traced behind his ear, until it reached his nape. Apollo shivered slightly, but it didn't make Phoenix stop. If he was truly aware of what he was doing, Phoenix would have retreated his hand right this instant, but he wasn't thinking. Instead his palm fell flat against the younger's neck and he moved back to his cheek, but lower this time. His thumb went over his lower lip, then came back on his upper lip. Phoenix couldn't help but notice how soft it was.

All this time, he was leaning towards the younger unconsciously, as if going for a kiss. When their noses bumped ever so slightly, Phoenix finally snapped out of it. He quickly shot back as if his hand had caught on fire and stood up, his mind in a mess.

At least Apollo was still asleep, but that wasn't much of a relief. Phoenix immediately went back to his office and closed the door, before leaning on it. He noticed his cheeks were burning and his heartbeat had quickened. What just happened? Was he really going to kiss Apollo while the kid was sleeping? His own son, to boot? (Adopted, but still!)

He slid to the floor and took his face in his hands, trying really hard to make sense of what just happened. He never, not even once, thought of Apollo _that _way. He admitted the kid was attractive, alright, but he wasn't attracted by him that way. He was pretty sure it hadn't changed... so what possessed him?

Was he really that lonely?

His eyes grew wide as he finally understood. He had been thinking that morning just how lonely he felt. He unconsciously tried to make a move on Apollo because he couldn't take it anymore. Which was bad news. Really bad news.

After all, the kid was in a relationship, though he didn't announce it yet. Maybe it was part of it too. Until he had understood Apollo and Klavier were in a relationship, he pretty much considered Apollo as an asexual – or, at least, he never thought of him in a sexual manner. The kid didn't talk about it, so Phoenix didn't think about it. But now he knew he was able to have a relationship and that must have shifted something in his head.

Phoenix really, more than ever, needed to settle down. But where could he find someone? How could he search for one in the first place? And did he have the patience to put up with all of this one more time? What if life was being a bitch once more and he found himself in another complex love affair? Or what if he was slapped once more?

Okay, he obviously needed to calm down. This was a mistake. He never considered Apollo that way before. It couldn't change in one little moment, could it?

... Come to think of it, it had happened once before. There was someone he was pretty sure he didn't love until, one day, he realized his feelings weren't friendship but so much more.

How did he consider Apollo? Could he really... have fallen in love with him without realizing? No, surely not! He wouldn't have been so happy to adopt him otherwise!

He clutched on that thought tightly. He was only confused, because Apollo became dear to him so quickly. It was like with Maya. He only had to let it calm down and he would quickly realize he wasn't feeling that kind of love. He loved Apollo very much, but as a fellow attorney, as a dear friend, as an adopted son, as an understudy of sorts, as Trucy's brother.

He took some time to calm down and finally got up again. He did it too quickly, though, and felt a little dizzy, his vision obscuring for some seconds. He caught back his footing and finally decided it was high time for a shower.

Apollo was still sleeping, but Phoenix this time walked past him towards the shower. It helped clear his thoughts and when he got out, he was pretty convinced he had just been in a daze. When he came around the living-room, he noticed Apollo wasn't there anymore. He guessed he was out jogging and made himself comfortable on the couch.

He watched TV until Apollo came back. Seeing him didn't trigger anything special in Phoenix – nothing that Trucy wouldn't trigger, at least. The young man, after having taken his shower, clapped his hands and stated, "Okay, time to move in completely!"

"... How about a breakfast first?" Suggested Phoenix with a smile. Apollo smiled sheepishly and admitted he was right. After they ate, they walked to the car rental and they took the car to Apollo's apartment. At around that time, it was late enough to make some noise, so they started to move everything. They took all his furniture, except for the television, and went to take it to the thrift shop.

After that, they came back to Apollo's old apartment and they took everything left, which really wasn't much. It filled the car pretty much, though, but they wouldn't need to come back. When they finished, Apollo stayed a little behind while Phoenix went back to the car. He supposed the kid felt a little nostalgic and left him time to say goodbye to this apartment. He lived there for a long time, to Phoenix's knowledge, so it must be a little difficult to leave it behind.

Apollo looked a little tired when he came back, but he didn't seem depressed, which was good. They came back to the apartment to find Trucy awake. It was passed one in the afternoon, after all. She asked where they went and Phoenix remembered her they had to move Apollo. She recalled with a gasp and asked how it went, so Apollo told her they had everything in the car.

It didn't take really long to move everything in and it was easy to find space, as they had thought it out all week. When they were finished, they were both in dire need of another shower. However, before they could get to that, Phoenix's cellphone rang. As usual, he had lost it somewhere in the room and they had to search for it, the three of them. Trucy finally found it besides the piano and answered without looking at the ID, "Wright Anything Agency, I'm Trucy Wright, how may I help you?"

Phoenix wondered why she was acting so professional – it was his private cellphone after all. He made his way to retrieve it as Trucy went on, "Oh, you mean Daddy? Yes, he's right here! I'm transferring you!"

The older took it without looking at the screen either and answered, while turning around, "Hello?"

"Phoenix?" Asked a feminine voice he recognized immediately. His face lightened up quickly and he beamed. "Iris? Is that you?"

"Yes," answered the woman. "I'm sorry, is it a bad time to call? I can call back later if it's better for you." She was so sweet, as always! He walked towards the office and answered, "No, no, it's a good time actually."

"Good," she said, the hint of a smile in her voice. Phoenix closed the door to his room and sat on his couch. He asked casually, "So, everything's fine in Hazakura?"

"Yes, everything is good. Sister Bikini is as enthusiast as ever." She chuckled a little at that, and Phoenix pictured the nun he came to know about ten years ago. He went back to Hazakura some times and she really hasn't changed throughout these years. "What about you?" Iris went on. "Have you found someone?"

His smile fell and he slumped until he laid down. "Nope, not yet. Maybe I'm a lost cause."

She laughed sweetly and went on, "Why, my Feenie is a good man, surely you'll find someone!" Phoenix laughed a little, but he felt a pang as usual when he heard that nickname. After her trial, Iris stopped using it, as it remembered both of them bad memories. When she used it now, it was only for teasing purposes.

"And what about you, huh? I know you're a nun and all, but surely you'd want someone too?" They already had that discussion, but maybe Iris's answer would be different this time. It was only wishful thinking though.

"Ah, no," she said without any sadness, only resignation, "I don't think I deserve it after what I did to you. I know you don't resent me, but I... I can't do it again." Phoenix's heart sank, as usual, but he didn't comment. He knew by now this was a lost cause. How he wished it could have been different.

"I still love you, you know," he blurted out without thinking. It must have been because of what happened that morning. He really wanted to slam his head on the wall. Why would he say something like that? It would only hurt them more!

Iris laughed sadly. He could picture her distressed smile so well it almost hurt as much as if she was in front of him. Finally, she said, "I know, Phoenix. And I love you too. But you know how it is." He knew it all too well. If only they had met under better circumstances! Or, you know, only 'normal' circumstances would have been awesome.

After a rather long silence, Iris cleared her throat and mentioned, "Anyway, I called because I thought about coming to town tomorrow. If you're free, we could meet?"

It managed to bring a smile upon his lips. "Of course! I miss you! You live too far away!"

Iris laughed once more, before admitting, "I miss you too, but I can't go skipping training either! I'm a nun, you know!" Phoenix laughed too, glad their awkward moment was finished. They decided to meet for lunch and they would spend the afternoon together. Maya had talked about a superhero movie when he went to see her, so he suggested it. Iris seemed to look forward to it.

They talked some more, until Iris mentioned she had to go back to her duties. Phoenix wished her a good day and hung up. He looked forward to the next day. It really had been a long time since he last saw her.

* * *

><p><em>Omg, I'm so excited! Phoenix finally started to see Apollo that way! Well, he quickly went back to his father's mode, but at least now it's in a corner of his mind. That's something huge in my opinion. And it's gonna come back at some point, don't fear.<em>

_I was supposed to talk about Fransizka/Athena, but then I remembered the time line and thought, shit, this is supposed to be a Friday! Meaning the trial is to be reported to Monday and the day after is Saturday! Of course, only after I wrote about how they had nothing to do and tried to find something, I suddenly remembered Polly was to move in! I had completely forgotten about that too! Gosh, this was such an ordeal..._

_So yeah, Iris. I kinda like Iris. At least, I love how lovestruck Phoenix is about her, even after all that happened (they do say at the end of T&T they go to visit her and he's all eyes for her). Lovestruck!Phoenix is like the most adorable thing in the universe. I was disappointed she never showed up in AJ or DD, but I guess they did it so the fans could still ship Phoenix. Which is a good thing for us fangirls. But if Phoenix must have been paired with someone in the canon (which he deserves, don't you think?), then I would have settled for Iris happily, even if I like Hobopollo or WrightWorth way more. Ah, I have complicated feelings over this._

_Anyway, another ship! I manage to pair off everyone in odd pairings in this story, don't I? Sometimes I think this is like a big dump of all I want to happen. Well, not ALL obviously (otherwise everyone would be in love with Apollo and Phoenix and Egdeworth and Simon and that's just not possible XD), but lots of it. _

_Okay then, until next chapter!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry guys... I skipped a week another time. And I'm planning to do it once more. Yep, I won't publish next Monday – I'm almost completely certain I won't have anything ready anyway. So expect the next update on the 22nd! At that point, I'll tell you how it is going and how often I'll be able to update. I think I will at least be able to go back to once a week, but we shall see._

_I thought I could come back to Trucy now, since, you know, there's some developments on her part. And I missed her! I feel like she wasn't much there in the last chapters, excluding maybe 12... and I really like her, okay!_

_... Anyway. So here it is!_

* * *

><p>In the end, she had decided to go for it.<p>

Pearl was right: Trucy was cute and kind and awesome. She didn't need to be intimidated by some boy she barely knew. She never really talked to him before that day, but she knew he liked hypnosis – it was the main reason she became interested, truth be told – and that he was a real cutie. The good part was that he didn't show off... at least not much. Okay, maybe a little, but still, it was tolerable. It came off more as confidence than pure arrogance.

The point was, she finally managed to ask him out! It was only to go see one of her shows, and she knew he was probably more interested in her tricks than in her in general, but still, it was a beginning. It was a good reason to get to know each other. She could work with that.

As soon as she got his answer, she texted Pearl to tell her the good news. The older suggested to meet that evening so they could talk about it. Of course, Trucy accepted, happy to have such a wonderful friend and sort of sister... or cousin, or something like that. She really could count on her.

They agreed to meet at a burger joint. Trucy arrived early; after having ordered her food, she spot a place and waited for the university student. Pearl came in not that long after that. She was wearing a light green dress this time, under her white coat. The sleeves went over her wrist to cover most of her hands, as most of the long sleeves did on her, since she was short – Trucy could relate very well on that problem. It gave her a really cute and almost childlike feel.

She had white stockings under it, and the skirt was short enough you could see a small line of skin. Trucy wondered why Pearl was dressed up like this – it was clear she had put some thoughts in her attire, as if to seduce someone. Was she thinking about going out after that? She couldn't go into bars legally, but maybe there was a party somewhere and she wanted to impress someone...? However, it seemed strange, considering Pearl's temperament.

The ex-acolyte sat in front of her, a tray in her hands, and beamed at her. "Good evening, Trucy!"

The magician smiled in return. "Pearly! Are you planning to go somewhere after that?" She teased the girl with a giggle.

Pearl brought a hand in front of her mouth in surprise as she answered seriously, "No, not at all! Why would you say that?"

"I dunno," went on the mischievous girl, "maybe because you're dressed up more than usual." Pearl blushed at that, and Trucy thought she hit the jackpot. She also thought Pearl was more adorable than usual with that blush on her cheeks, and she sure hoped whatever guy made her heart beat faster wasn't a jerk. Or he'd have to face Trucy's wrath.

"N-no, I mean, you think this dress is too much?" She looked self-conscious, now, and she was playing with the end of the skirt, as if trying to make it a little longer. Trucy leaned in and answered truthfully, "It suits you, really, you're so cute right now!"

This made Pearl blush even more. Trucy chuckled – she always enjoyed teasing Pearl, whatever the subject. Especially since her red cheeks were a sight to behold, one she would never tire of, no matter what.

She finally leaned back, leaving some space to her friend, and started to unwrap the hamburger. As soon as she was done, she started eating. Pearl followed and they took some bites until the older finally asked, "So, tell me what happened! You wouldn't tell me the details in textos!"

Trucy swallowed and grinned sheepishly, a little shy suddenly. "Yeah, well," she explained, "I talked with him at lunch. I told him I had a show next Wednesday and he showed interest right away, so I invited him."

"That's awesome," Pearl cheered, before looking a little thoughtful. "You never told me his name, by the way."

"He's called Kevin. He plans on having a stage name in the future, but he hasn't decided yet. I told you he does hypnosis, right?"

"Yes, it's about the first thing you said."

Trucy chuckled, a little embarrassed she had repeated herself. Nevertheless, she went on, "I think I have good chances. He would be my first boyfriend ever!"

"I'm glad you found your special someone," Pearl fangirled, taking her face in her hands. Trucy was tempted to say it didn't mean Kevin was her special someone – they weren't even going out yet –, but she decided against it and went on eating. After some time, Pearl changed subjects a little, "Speaking of 'special someone', you never told me how Mr Nick's travel to Kurain went. I know he decided to adopt Polly after that, but..."

"He didn't talk much about Maya, no," Trucy answered her unsaid question. Pearl looked dejected and Trucy wondered once more how, after all these years, she could still think Phoenix was Maya's special someone. Or did she think it at all? "You know Daddy doesn't love her that way, do you? And Maya either, I'm pretty sure..."

The older's expression sank and she sighed, conceding defeat, "It's just... Mystic Maya's always been alone, you know?" So that was what it was all about. Pearl was worried about her cousin. "I just don't want her to end up all alone, and Mr Nick has always been so kind to her. He's not seeing someone else, is he?"

"No, not that I heard of," Trucy answered. "I want to have a Mom, too, but you can't rush these things, you know. Maya's 'special someone' will come one day."

Pearl fiddled with her napkin, looking down literally and figuratively. Trucy dropped her hand on hers to make her stop the nervous gesture. The older looked up and, when they locked eyes, the magician beamed her most cheerful smile. Pearl tried to return the favour, but somehow she didn't look quite honest. Trucy's smile faltered and she asked, concerned, "What's wrong, Pearly?"

She looked to the side, embarrassed or ashamed, Trucy couldn't tell, and dodged the question, "It's nothing." However, Trucy didn't move, didn't talk, and this prompted Pearl to explain further, "I was thinking about the Fey family. It seems like no one ever gets a happy ending. Mystic Misty and Mystic Mia were both murdered, Mother and Dahlia were accused of murder, Iris went to prison and is still atoning, and Mystic Maya... she's all alone back at Kurain, trying her hardest to manage a clan that doesn't really need to exist anymore. Our lineage is cursed and sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better if we never existed. A lot of people, including Mr Nick, suffered because of our clan."

She seemed on the verge of crying, but she was fighting the tears. The girl never liked to expose her weaknesses, especially when she was ashamed of them. She always put on a strong front to not worry people. Trucy squeezed her hand tightly and cupped her face with the other so they would look each other in the eyes. When she was sure she was listening, Trucy said, "I, for one, am really glad I met you, and I'm sure Daddy thinks the same. The Fey Family may have caused some bad things, but they caused good things too. Most of all, they brought you in my life, and that's what you should focus on."

Pearl looked doubtful, but she smiled nonetheless and reassured her, "I'm really glad I met you, Trucy. You're the best friend ever!"

"We're BFF after all! Nothing can come in the way of our friendship!" Trucy liked to boast about that peculiar friendship. She was so proud of Pearl and wondered why the girl thought so poorly of herself sometime. She was awesome, had such great powers, was so responsible and cute and kind and Trucy could go on forever about her awesomeness. She would make the perfect wife ever, as she was the best friend ever!

Pearl looked like she was happy, but there was something fishy about her. Trucy was observant, after all. Pearl seemed kind of sad, in a strange way, almost as if... as if she was lonely, perhaps? All these talks about 'special someone' must have remembered her she didn't have one yet. Pearl did seem like the type to idealize romantic relationships and Trucy wondered if she would ever find what she was looking for in a man.

Trucy got out of her thoughts when Pearl intertwined their fingers and looked in her eyes. She noticed they were closer, now, and she had the strange thoughts that, to any onlookers, they may look like a couple. It didn't disturb her the least most of the time, but now, she didn't know why, she felt a little self-conscious. Pearl opened her mouth, about to say something, but she thought better of it and closed it again.

Before Trucy could protest, Pearl had let go of her hand and picked up her burger again, intent on eating it. A little troubled and her cheeks a little red – she could feel it – Trucy went back to her burger as well. A little silence followed and Trucy stole glances towards her friend. She didn't seem that lonely anymore, more resigned. Resigned to what, that was what Trucy wondered.

Before she could ask, though, Pearl changed subject and talked about that test she had coming up. This was a clear signal she wanted to talk about something else and Trucy went along, not really intent on torturing her best friend. She was curious, though, and she tried to pick up some other signals, to no avail. Pearl had noticed long ago Trucy's developed perception and had adapted to it perfectly. Even better than her own father, Phoenix. When Pearl really wanted to be closed up, not even Trucy could tell what was on her mind.

They didn't talk about love or relationships during the rest of the dinner, and Trucy thought she shouldn't impose after that. She had the feeling Pearl wanted to be left alone, even if it didn't make much sense – wanting to be alone because you're lonely surely seemed like a contradiction. Moreover, it was already late, so Trucy took the way back to the Agency, her mind full of Pearl.

She didn't talk about it to anyone, though, and helping the lawyers in their brainstorm had helped her forget all about it. She was proud to have found that one clue, and she was very glad Phoenix seemed to get use to the whole 'Apollo's father's' idea. He was almost acting with Apollo as he did with Trucy now.

Apollo, too, seemed a little happier, or less grumpy maybe? He smiled more often, Trucy noticed, though he also seemed nervous more often too. He was adapting to these changes, she mused. Well, it was going smoothly, she presumed. For all Phoenix and Apollo protested in the beginning, they really seemed like the happiest now that it was happening.

Trucy smiled when she got in her bed, thinking about her little family and how happy days were in front of them. However, her mind soon shifted to that one conversation about relationships. She knew her dad wasn't seeing anyone right now, and, as his romantic life was a mess, he wasn't actively searching. Trucy didn't know everything, but Phoenix told her the gist of it. It was a strange, tangled, uncommon love life, to say the least, and it had been painful – still was – but Phoenix always smiled when he talked about it, so Trucy guessed it was more of a bittersweet feeling.

Even though she knew all about her father, or at least enough to make a book out of it, she didn't know about Apollo _at all_. She knew so little it was becoming strange, the more she thought about it. She could understand you don't usually talk about your love life with your co-worker, but it had been two years since she knew him and there wasn't a single conversation she could remember about that topic. Not even one.

She recalled some times when one person, whatever it was, talked about romance, but Apollo never added to it unless forced, and then he would subtly change the conversation or say something so general it didn't feel genuine at all. Trucy never made much of it, she had other things to think about, but now she felt bad about it. He was her brother, she ought to know at least if he was interested in someone or not!

She tried to picture who Apollo might be interested in right now, but she had to admit she didn't know much of Apollo's social life... there was that friend, Clay, but she only heard of him after he died. And then there was a lot of people they both knew, but could any of them be close enough to Apollo for him to consider?

Not that he needed to be that close. For example, Trucy was interested in a boy she didn't know much of. But it didn't give Trucy any idea who might interest Apollo. She didn't even know his tastes, or his sexual orientation for that matter. The first person that came to mind, and she might have had a hunch more than once, was Klavier, but Apollo always seemed either annoyed or disinterested when talking about him. There was Juniper, also, but while she was clearly interested in him, he didn't seem to acknowledge her.

This was a mystery Trucy decided to clear up as soon as she could. For now, she finally fell asleep, deep in thoughts about her brother's preferences.

When she opened her eyes, Saturday morning, she realized it wasn't quite morning anymore. She woke up at around noon and took a shower as usual, before eating her breakfast. She wondered where the two men of her family went to, but concluded they would come back at some point. At the Agency, people tended to come and go and they didn't necessarily kept track of it, unless there was something important coming up.

For once, Trucy had her Saturday all for herself. She was still wondering what to do, pacing around in her room, when she heard the door open. Apollo and Phoenix came around and she learnt they had been moving the younger. She had completely forgotten about that.

They brought everything in while Trucy sat on the couch, her cellphone in her hands. She was wondering if she should text Pearl or not. It seemed strange not to, considering they usually texted everyday, but with what happened the day before... she still felt a little awkward, even if she couldn't tell exactly why.

After a while, she decided to hell with it and asked the Fey girl if she slept well. She answered quickly yes and wondered if Trucy just got up. Chuckling, Trucy told her that of course she woke up earlier, it was around two after all. They talked in texts for a while until the rest of the Wright family was done moving everything in.

The three of them were in the living room when Phoenix's cellphone rang. It was a rare occasion, but even then, they easily recognized the ring tone. Though, as usual, the phone was lost somewhere and they had to search for it. Trucy was the one who found it and she answered, purposefully being very business-like – it seemed boring to say a plain "hello".

The voice on the other side was clearly feminine, and though she hasn't heard it since a while now, Trucy immediately recognized her. Iris had been sort of maybe her mother for a while, it would be unlikely she would ever forget about her. She didn't really acknowledge her, though – because of what happened, their relationship was a little awkward. Iris was clearly more interested in talking to Phoenix anyway.

That's why she transferred the phone without asking for news and made a face after her father turned around. It wasn't like she hated Iris, and she understood what happened wasn't exactly her fault, but still, she couldn't help but resent her a little. She was part of the reasons why her father was so sad sometimes. And she couldn't understand exactly why her father still saw her from time to time.

The older let the two younger alone. Apollo shot an understanding look at Trucy that the girl returned with a frown. Her brother knew more or less what happened between Iris and Phoenix, he even saw her a couple times. His thoughts on the subject were obviously on the same wavelength as Trucy, even if they never talked about it. Apollo was also lost as to why Phoenix was tormenting himself by seeing his ex. He didn't appear as worried as Trucy was, but it surely was because he trusted his boss.

"I'm... gonna take a shower," Apollo said hastily, breaking eye contact. As usual, he didn't want to talk about it, even if the older wasn't there. Trucy hummed and Apollo made his way to the bathroom.

Now alone, Trucy wondered what she would do today. She texted some friends, until a couple of them agreed to a casual outing in town. The magician got ready and told Phoenix as soon as she caught him that she was going out. The adult hugged her and told her to have fun. She wondered what he would spend the time on, but she didn't ask and went out instead.

In the end, she spent the evening with three girl friends and they decided to spend the night, since it was getting late. She texted her father and Apollo about her new plan. Now she would have to tell her brother stuff like that, too, because they were living together. It made Trucy a little giddy – it was so cool having a big brother!

Sunday came, Trucy woke up earlier than usual because of her friends. They had breakfast together and then everyone went their own way. On the way home, Trucy texted Pearl some more on silly topics. Talking with Pearl always managed to make her feel so bubbly and happy and warm, even when it was freezing like now.

She made home in one piece, a little past noon. Apollo came to greet her at the door and asked her, "You had fun, Trucy?"

"Yup!" She beamed, while trying to get out of her winter attire. "And you, Polly? How are you?"

Unsurprisingly, the attorney answered, "I'm fine!" Trucy almost interrupted to make fun of him, but he went on, "Boss is out for the day. Do you have something planned?"

Finally out of her coat and boots, Trucy entered the room and answered, "Nope, nothing at all!"

Apollo seemed a little nervous, now that she was looking – he was fidgeting with his fingers. Trucy almost asked what was wrong when Apollo suggested, "Then I figured we could, you know, hang out? Like brother and sister?"

Apollo looked embarrassed by his own suggestion, though there really was nothing to be ashamed of. He was so cute Trucy squealed. Smiling like an idiot, she agreed, "Yeah, of course, Polly! Oh, you're becoming red, you sure you're okay?" She was teasing, of course, but Apollo quickly told her he was fine.

Overwhelmed by sudden fondness, she threw her arms around him and captured him in a bear hug. For once, Apollo didn't really protest. He awkwardly tried to reciprocate, but failed a little, making Trucy chuckle. Sometimes she couldn't get enough of his antics.

After some time, she let go and, while smiling broadly, she suggested, "We should go see a movie!"

Apollo looked to the side and argued, "Ah, it's just, Boss is also going to the cinema..."

Trucy deflated. She knew how Apollo was awkward around Iris. He didn't know how to act around her at all, and since they didn't have much occasions to meet either, he never tried to get over it. And, knowing Phoenix, if they were to meet him, he would insist they tag along, Iris wouldn't be able to say no to him and then Apollo would feel compelled to say yes and that would end badly. Trucy was sure of it. So instead she suggested, "Then we could play boardgames! For now at least!"

Apollo seemed doubtful, but he agreed nevertheless. It wasn't the best suggestion ever, Trucy knew it, because they did it a lot, but if they were afraid of going out, there was a limit to what they could do inside. Apart from watching the TV, but that was even less thrilling.

They chose Clue and played for a while. Apollo won the two times as expected – he wasn't that good at boardgames usually, but Clue always was the exception. Trucy wasn't a sore loser, however, not at that game – she had lost enough to know her place, now, and she tried to enjoy it nonetheless.

When they were finished, Trucy sat besides him and decided to bring up something that was on her mind since two days. She would have to be subtle, unless she scared him and made him retreat. She asked, as casually as she could, "So, I heard Athena fell in love?"

Apollo startled, but he quickly looked exasperated. "Yes, she did, apparently."

"What do you mean, 'apparently'?"

"Well," Apollo looked uncomfortable, but he went on anyway, "she fell in love at first sight. Is that even possible?"

"Of course it is!" Preached Trucy. She may have never fallen in love at first sight herself, but she strongly believed it was possible. She didn't think it would work each time, but it was cute to think one could fall in love so quickly. It was like fate playing at matchmaker.

Apollo looked doubtfully at her, "How can you tell you love someone you don't even know? Love is something that comes with time, it takes efforts and engagement. You can't know on a first meeting someone is meant for you! That's impossible!"

"It's not like that," Trucy argued. "Okay, I agree you can't know that quickly if it's the right person, but the feelings can exist, I'm sure of it! Having a relationship and being in love is two different things!"

"But it seems so strange to me," confessed Apollo. "I mean, how can you know someone's personality without having spent a lot of time with them?"

"That's what dating's for," answered Trucy, confident despite her lack of experience. "To get to know the other, you see? And then if you realize you weren't meant to be, then you can just break up."

There was a silent, until Apollo grunted in disapproval, "Still, it doesn't make sense to me..."

"Daddy fell in love at first sight," Trucy supplied. She should have known, however, that it wasn't the best example ever.

"And the girl turned out to be a murderer. Exactly my point."

Trucy almost counterattacked, but stopped once she remembered the whole point of bringing this up. She had forgotten, in the whole debate, her goal. Instead of arguing back, she asked, "So you never fell in love at first sight, then?"

Apollo looked uncomfortable, clearly avoiding her stare. "No, never. The whole concept is clearly lost on me."

"Then," Trucy dared ask, "have you fallen in love before?"

He was now fidgeting with his bracelet, surely tight with his own nervousness. It didn't take their ability to notice how nervous he was about all of this. Trucy almost felt bad, but her curiosity needed to be quenched. "... Yes," he finally answered quietly, "I have."

This was good news. If he was really against the idea to talk, he would have tried to avoid the subject. It made Trucy more daring. "With girls... or boys?"

He was so red it made Trucy want to tease him. She stopped herself, though, and waited patiently as Apollo seemed to ponder if he wanted to talk about it or not. Maybe he was looking for the right words, too.

"Mostly girls," he finally answered. "There was one man, but, euhm..." He took a deep breath to steady himself and went on, "But it didn't go well. I... I haven't really, you know... I had relationships, two actually, more like one and a half really, but..."

He stayed silent for a while, and Trucy respected his silence. She thought he wouldn't say more when he added, "Sometimes I feel like I'm really abnormal. Like with love at first sight, I just... I can't wrap my head around the idea, it's just so strange to me, feeling attraction so easily. It always took me so much time to fall in love... and since it never really worked... maybe I'm not cut out for it after all?"

She didn't know what to say to this. Was he really saying he somehow didn't really feel attraction? Or only after a lot of time? And was he bisexual then, like her father? Though maybe if he had loved only one man, it wasn't really it... "So..." she tentatively said, "does that mean that you're, you know, bi?"

Apollo took his face in his hands and answered, desperate, "I don't know! Up until I met Mr... I mean, the man I fell in love with, I was sure I was heterosexual. I never even thought once before that I might love men. I guess I'm somewhat bi, yes, but I think it's more like, I don't care about gender? Like it's the personality that I'm attracted to? I don't think that's a thing, though... but I always felt like, if I love someone, I won't ever care what they look like..."

"... Wow," Trucy commented. That was the only thing she managed to say. Honestly, she wasn't expecting something like that at all. She thought most people were clear about their orientation – her daddy was always the exception. It suddenly appeared to her that it might not be as simple as being hetero, homo or bi. It was a mind blowing realization, to say the least.

They stayed silent for a long time, both lost in thoughts, until Apollo chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry I dropped this on you, Trucy. I don't talk about it usually."

"No, no," she quickly told him, "don't apologize! I was the one asking, and I'm glad I know! It's just, I guess I realized some things too." Apollo looked at her with curiosity, as if prompting her to talk, so she explained, "I mean, I always thought orientation was something you knew easily. Like you just had to feel something for one gender or both to determine it. But, yeah, maybe it is more complicated... Maybe Daddy isn't the only one..."

The older looked surprised, now, and asked, "What about Boss?"

"What, you don't know?" It was Trucy's turn to be doubtful. She was sure her dad would have talked about it to Apollo. They were closer now than ever! But Apollo's look told her he was lost, so she explained, "Daddy's kind of bisexual too."

"Whaat?!" In his confusion, Apollo got up and looked down at her with huge eyes. He really didn't see this coming, did he? Trucy wondered if she should tell the truth. She quickly decided it wasn't top secret. Apollo was part of their family now.

"He fell in love with some men in his life, he even had a relationship with one of them. Someone you know, by the way." She still didn't feel like she should tell him the name, but she was sure he could find who it was by himself. It wasn't like Phoenix was being subtle about it.

Apollo sat down once more and whispered, "I really didn't see it coming."

"It's pretty clear to me, though," Trucy stated. "But I guess I've know him longer than you..."

The older nodded, at lost for words. This time, the silence stayed so long Trucy spotted the remote and opened the TV, hoping it would lighten the mood a little. She hadn't meant for this conversation to end up this awkward. Maybe she really ought not to talk about relationships. She obviously messed up every time.

She was glad to know the mystery of Apollo's love life or lack though. She still couldn't quite grasp it, but at least she had some inkling now. It was like her Daddy trying to appear heterosexual with people in general because it was easier. Maybe it was easier for Apollo to never talk about it. Trucy was proud he trusted her enough with his secret.

After some time, Apollo finally spoke up to suggest they go eat at Eldoon's. Phoenix obviously wouldn't go there on one of his 'dates', so it was safe territory. They ate and talked animatedly about casual stuff. However, a part of Trucy's mind was still on her realization about orientations. Somehow, she knew it would plague her mind for some time.

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><p><em>Hm, yeah, I thought I should make something clear. Apollo will discover it over this fic, but you can safely say he's demisexual (if you don't know the word, either google it or wait until I explain it in the story) and probably pan. The truth is, I myself discovered I was one in the middle of writing this story, and since I based Apollo's orientation on mine... this happened. For the story, I think this fic is one of the things that helped me figure it out, especially when I thought about Apollo's view on this.<em>

_On another note, the seed of doubts is planted in Trucy, yay! Everybody should have a conversation like this at least once in their lives. It's really helpful, no matter your orientation, it makes it clearer to compare to others and it's fun to try and picture out what others feel. (Sorry, it was the little sex ed interlude)_

_So, yeah, I hope you liked it! _


	14. Chapter 14

_Warning: there's underage drinking in this chapter, though for me it doesn't feel like it because everyone's at least 18. In my country (Canada, Quebec), the legal age for drinking is 18, which makes a lot more sense to me than 21 in the United States (come on, you can drive at 16 but drink only at 21? Where's the logic? Not that you should do both at the same time, far from it, but still!). So I'm sorry if some of you are offended._

_I don't have another chapter written for now, but I'll have a lot of time this week, so I'm sure I'll be able to update next Monday (if not, I'll make sure to publish the Monday after that). I'm trying to find back my motivation for this fic, but I'm having way too much inspiration for other fics these days (some of which I should be able to publish shortly). I don't plan on giving up th__is__ story, far from it, but I do want to write those other ideas too, hence why I'm a little over the place lately. But, yeah, I will try to come back to this story enough to update more often._

_Nevertheless, have a good read!_

* * *

><p>Athena's apartment never was big, but with this much people inside it, it sure felt smaller than ever. Apollo wondered once more why he had decided to come, after all.<p>

The beginning of the evening had been fun. Athena had invited him sooner than the rest and they had dinner together. Simon was the next to show up, in the middle of their meal, but he had sat down with them despite having already eaten. The three lawyers had talked about this and that, Simon inquiring on their current case.

Apparently, he already knew Athena's infatuation for Franziska, and contrary to Apollo who had lots of doubts about all of this, he had seemed to approve it. Apparently, it would be good for Athena to learn from the greatest female lawyer there was right now. She would be a great influence – he was ignoring her whip altogether, consciously or not, Apollo couldn't tell. Moreover, he was glad Athena was in love and trying to commit.

After that little discussion, people began to come. Amongst them, Apollo knew the Themis' gang: Juniper, Robin, Hugh and Myriam. All the other people were strangers to him, though he did recognize one or two. He wondered why the attorney hadn't invited Trucy. When he asked, Athena told him she had invited her, but she had refused, surely to spend time with friends of her own.

Somewhere along the line, people had started to open alcohol, even though the majority of people were underage. Simon, the older now that Apollo was looking, tried more than once to stop Athena from drinking, but she had ignored him, arguing in Europe she could drink and it was dumb she couldn't here.

Apollo himself wasn't adept at drinking, but he took a beer, if only to busy himself. In one corner of the room, trying not to be in the way of people pacing around, he observed the crowd. His bracelet was killing him, tightening at almost everyone he saw. That was one of the reasons he usually didn't enjoy large gatherings. People were lying more than ever, trying to be overly pleasant with one another, and this always ended up with him having his wrist slightly bruised. He could always take his bracelet off, but he would feel naked without it.

He leaned on the wall once more, taking a longer sip, wondering not for the first time why he had kept his bracelet despite knowing from who he got it. To tell the truth, he had complicated feelings over the matter. At first, he had kept it as a memento of a mother he never knew, one he was sure was dead – it was the only way for him to accept she would abandon him. Over time, it had taken on an entirely new meaning: it was part of his identity, part of who he was, and getting it off felt like chopping one of his arms.

Moreover, without it, he wouldn't be able to use his ability as keenly. Though he shouldn't need it in his social life, he realized he had learned to depend on it. He wanted to know when people were lying to him, even if it ended up hurting him, whether physically or emotionally or both. He never wanted to discover the truth too late, like he did with Kristoph.

However, looking at the golden bracelet over his wrist, he recalled once more his mother was wearing the other, perhaps even right now, as he was thinking about it. And it managed to bring up a fierce rage, like nothing he ever felt before knowing the truth. Betrayal, he was used to it now, but this intense feeling felt nothing like it. It was more profound than anything he ever felt.

Thalassa had given up on him when he was so little he couldn't remember her. Even if he knew there were circumstances, ones Phoenix had explained to him thoroughly, he still couldn't forgive her. And it killed him, knowing he couldn't let go, because he also wanted to have a mother. He remembered how he felt, hearing the then Lamiroir sing in that beautiful voice of hers, how at ease and peaceful it had been. If only he could forgive her, maybe he would be able to relive that moment.

It was really a matter he would have to sort out, but right now wasn't the best time. Thinking too deeply about it could end badly, with him either wanting to shout in anger or drown in tears. Either didn't seem like a good option right now.

He finished his beer in one gulp and went to pick another one. In the kitchen, one Juniper was happily speaking with a girl Apollo didn't know. She was giggling, her cheeks a little red, and in her hands she fumbled with a glass of whatever drink it was. Apollo could guess it had alcohol, for she seemed inebriated.

When she spotted him, she ditched her friend and came towards him, her smile larger than usual. Alcohol was definitely loosening her up. "Apollo! I was looking for you!" She said, shouting a little over the loud music. Another thing Apollo never liked about parties: loud music. It was seriously annoying him.

Apollo smiled at her, spotting a beer besides her. He went for it and opened it, before answering, "Well, here I am!" He took a sip, wincing. He looked at the bottle: he had grabbed a stout. He really hated bitter beers. He usually went for blondes, but Juniper's appearance made him choose without looking. Oh well, now that he had opened it, there was nothing left but to drink it.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Asked Juniper, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Unsure how to answer, Apollo went for, "Euh, sure, how about you?"

The girl nodded, her movements slightly slurred by the alcohol. The attorney guessed whatever she was drinking was stronger than beer. He wondered how safe it was for her to drink that much when she unexpectedly leaned on him. Her head was on his shoulder, and she had her eyes closed. Somehow, Apollo doubted this was due to tiredness.

"I'm having fun now," finally answered Juniper, apparently intent on staying there. Apollo shifted uncomfortably, trying to shove her off without hurting her feelings. He didn't really like when people invaded his personal space, especially not with how he was feeling annoyed right now. The girl didn't get the cue, though, and tried to cuddle to him even more.

This time, Apollo clearly got out of her embrace and gently pushed her to the side. Juniper looked dejectedly at him, her cheeks red from either embarrassment or alcohol. Apollo decided the alcohol was making her a lot more touchy-feely than she ever were and made her an awkward smile before saying, "I'll, um, try to, euh, go find Simon!" With that, he turned around hastily and made it out of the kitchen.

He sighed when he made it to the living room and decided he might as well use his excuse. Spotting Simon shouldn't be a hard task, as he was a six-feet white and blacked haired samurai, but even with all that scanning, he couldn't find him. He hadn't been in the kitchen either.

He spotted Athena as she was laughing with Robin and Hugh, having a good time. At least she was enjoying it. Apollo made for her and tapped on her shoulder. She turned to face him and beamed, before throwing herself at him, clearly inebriated as well. Unlike with Juniper, it didn't feel awkward. Apollo even found himself patting her on the back slightly, smiling. Leave it to Athena to make him feel comfortable even while hugging. Not many people achieved that. Except the Wrights. Maybe. Depending.

She let go before it could become awkward, but she left her hands on his shoulders, squeezing. She asked him, grinning, "So, how's it going? Having fun?"

Instead of answering, as she would pick up his lie even in her state, he asked her, "Do you know where's Simon? I don't see him..."

Athena turned around, trying to take in the room, but she almost fell down doing so. Apollo had to grip her elbow, else she would be sitting down right now. She looked back to him and told him, "I think he's hiding in the bedroom." She promptly giggled, before going in a loud laugh. She apparently found the idea really entertaining. Apollo for his part considered it might be actually spot on. He could very well picture him trying to avoid the crowd he so wasn't used to. Apollo wouldn't mind escaping the crowds as well.

He was wondering if he could leave Athena, though, as she was clearly not able to stand on her own feet. She had stopped giggling, but she was still using him as a support. She was gripping both his elbows, now, and almost leaned on him.

Thankfully, Hugh came to his rescue. He gripped the girl gently and leaded her to the couch, where she sat down obediently. Now free, Apollo made for the bedroom. When he tried to turn the handle, he realized the door was locked. He still tried to open it, without success. Finding this strange, he asked through the door, "Simon? Are you there?"

No answer came. He waited, before insisting, louder this time, "Is someone there?" When the silence still greeted him, he placed his beer on the small table near him and knocked with both hands. He was starting to get a little panicked now. The door only locked on the inside, as there was no lock visible on the outside, so this clearly meant there was someone. And that someone wasn't answering. It was unlikely anyone could sleep through the loud music, either.

When he stopped knocking, his arms hurting a little, he noticed his phone was vibrating. He took it out of his pocket and noticed he had two news messages. His heart picked up the pace when he realized they were both from Simon. He had just sent them, meaning he was probably on the other side of the door.

_Stop knocking_

_Call Edgeworth-dono_

The lack of punctuation and the use of the imperative alarmed him. However, the content was even more alarming. What was happening on the other side? "Simon, please answer me!" He called, a little more desperate. No answer came, though, not even through his phone.

He looked around the room, seeing people dance and chatting made it feel all the more unreal. Something serious was going on, something he knew nothing about, and people were having fun. He knew he couldn't expect any of them to help, they were too wrapped up in their party to help him. The only way seemed to call Miles, but he didn't have his phone number.

He texted Simon back, asking for the number. He received a text containing only a number and quickly went outside. The sudden silence and cold startled him – he didn't have the time to find his coat. He promptly called the number. At the third ring, a voice he barely knew answered, "Miles Edgeworth."

"Euh, is this Mr Edgeworth? It's Apollo Justice speaking." Great, now he was stating the obvious. Ah, this was awkward. He didn't even know what to say, not to mention how to say it. Why did Simon ask to call him of all people?

"Yes, this is me. Is something wrong Mr Justice?" At least he didn't seem angry, but there was a little annoyance in his voice. Being called that late by someone beating around the bushes surely wouldn't be pleasant.

That's why he went straight to the point, "It's Simon, sir. He, euhm, asked me to call you."

There was a short silent, before Miles asked, in a somewhat cold voice, "Why isn't he the one calling, then?"

"Ah, that is," went on the attorney, suddenly feeling sheepish – this was the Chief Prosecutor he was talking to! "he's, euhm, locked in a room."

"What do you mean?" Asked the prosecutor, clearly hostile now. Did he think Apollo was the culprit behind the locking? He did phrase that not really clearly.

"Er, that's not what I meant! He locked himself in a room and he doesn't want to come out. He asked me by text to call you and..."

"Are you at Ms Cykes' place?" cut in Miles in a hurried tone. Apollo also heard fumbling in the background.

"Yes," he clearly answered, but, before he could add anything, the older quickly told him, "I'm coming. Until then, talk to him, tell him anything, just make him know you're there and I'm coming. Can you do this for me?"

"Yes, of course!" Answered the younger attorney.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," assured the Chief, before suddenly cutting the conversation.

Apollo closed his phone, looked if there was any new text, but there wasn't. He quickly went back inside to the bedroom door, checking once more if it was locked. It still was. He slicked back his hair, panic starting to make his eyes water a little, and he asked, "Simon? You still there? Text me if you can hear me!"

After about a minute, a text came.

_You called Edgeworth-dono?_

Clutching his phone, Apollo answered, "Yes, I called him, he's coming! Do you want me to tell Athena as well?"

It took less time than before to have a reply.

_NO_

This certainly answered his question. "Okay, I won't tell her. She's having fun, I think. Well, everybody is." He didn't know what he was saying, but Miles did tell him to talk no matter what. He went on without thinking things through, "Nobody noticed. I mean, they're still talking and all. It's pretty weird. Athena's really busted, she was leaning on me earlier, laughing hard at her own jokes. I think she passed out on the couch, or something like that. Juniper gets really touchy-feely when she drinks. I had to push her off me. And yeah, euhm, I don't know what to say anymore..."

He thought he was doing well so far, but he was at the end of the rope. He wished Miles would be quicker. He didn't even know what was going on, but Simon did mention some times that he was prone to 'crisis', whatever that meant. Someone didn't lock themselves in a room without a good reason. Especially when they had a past like Simon's.

"Are you okay?" He asked, realizing he shouldn't ask when he clearly wasn't. There was no answer, as expected, so he went on, "I'm sorry, shouldn't have asked that. Ah, yeah, we were cut off earlier weren't we? Back when we were talking about Ms von Karma. I wanted to talk to you about that whip of hers. Are you sure it is good influence for Athena? She talked about wanting a weapon of her own! She said you had Taka, so she should have her own. By the way, where's Taka now? Did you leave it home? Or is it actually free, outside? I've always wondered how you were taking care of it in prison, but if it hunts for its food, I guess you don't need to feed it." He laughed nervously, knowing he was rambling, but what was he supposed to do?

Finally, he heard the door open. Miles Edgeworth was on the threshold. Apollo never saw him this flustered before. The older quickly noticed him and walked towards him – there wasn't much to walk, though, only a couple steps. The younger quickly stepped aside, showing him the door.

Miles knocked and said, "Blackquill? It's me, Edgeworth. Would you please open the door?" There was a silence – well, as much as the loud music was silence – before the handle moved. Miles looked to Apollo and told him, "I'll try to work it out. It might take time, so don't wait for me."

Apollo nodded, and the prosecutor went inside the room. The door quickly closed again, leaving Apollo out of whatever was happening. He couldn't even hear what the two were talking about, if they were even talking.

There was nothing else he could do, and he suddenly found he really needed to sit down – his legs were shaking. He couldn't feel relieved yet, as he still didn't know if everything was alright, but at least he had left the matter in good hands.

He made his way for the couch, where Athena as expected was lying down. She was taking all the place, so he moved her legs to sit down. She wouldn't have it, though, and quickly moved her legs back on him. Apollo let her do whatever she wanted, not in the mood to move anymore. He noticed, through half-lidded eyes, that there was a lot less people than before. In truth, there was only Hugh, Robin and Juniper left. He couldn't see much in the kitchen, though.

Hugh was the one to close the music, from what Apollo could tell, and he was supporting both Robin and Juniper. He smiled to Apollo and told him, "Well, I guess we'll be going now. I didn't drink, so I'll make sure both Juniper and Robin make it home in one piece."

Apollo tried to smile, but he knew he wasn't convincing. "Okay," he answered quickly. Hugh opened his mouth, but finally closed it, perhaps thinking he should really get going.

The attorney didn't have the strength to stand and make sure the door was locked, or to make sure there wasn't anyone else in the apartment. He suddenly found himself really sleepy. He was gone the second he closed his eyes.

When Apollo woke up, the first thing he noticed was a body besides him. He opened his eyes, to ascertain the situation. He was on a couch, lying down, and he was very much hugging one Athena Cykes. He was one his back, while she was half on top of him, and both his arms encircled her waist. If this was a bad romance movie, now would be the time he wondered what happened the night before and if he had slept with his coworker.

He didn't drink much the night before, though, and he remembered perfectly well what happened. He also knew he would never sleep with Athena, no matter the circumstances. Not because she was ugly or anything, she was pretty to Apollo's standards, but he very wasn't in love with her. Or attracted to her.

So the point was, he knew nothing went on. He wasn't awkward – mainly because this was Athena – but he didn't feel the need to linger either. So he tried to shake her gently to wake her up. She stirred, groaned, but didn't move. Apollo sighed, before pushing her with more strength.

This allowed him to get out from under her. With certain difficulty, he finally achieved to get up without making her fall out. When he was finally standing, he checked his phone for the time. Seven AM. Still early, but a little later than what he was used to. At least it was still Sunday.

One look towards the bedroom made him wonder what had happened the night before. Both Simon's and Miles' coats were still hanging in the entrance, so they didn't leave yet. He didn't want to wake them up, though, and decided to go to the kitchen for now.

As it was in a mess, he started to clean up, before making coffee. He made a huge batch, judging Athena would need some. As he cleared all the bottles, he noticed how much they all drank. At least everyone brought something, otherwise, it would have cost a lot for Athena.

He felt a little better while cleaning. It made him stop thinking about stuff and made his mind go a little numb. When he was finished, though, he sat on one of the chairs, his cup in his hand, and tried to make sense of the night before.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice someone walked into the room until he heard one voice say to him, "Good morning, Mr Justice."

Startled, he looked up to find Miles, soon followed by Simon. They were both dressed casually, but if he was now used to see Simon in something else than his court attire – though he never wore anything but black – Miles was something else entirely. He was wearing some dark pants, and had a dark green t-shirt. Miles owned t-shirts? It seemed so unlikely Apollo couldn't help but gawked. He hadn't noticed his clothes the night before, as there was a lot going on. It was looking good on him, though, it made him a lot less menacing.

Simon cleared his thoughts, and Apollo finally noticed he had pretty much stared at Miles for a long time and never answered him. He blushed and looked aside, finally answering, "Good morning, Mr Edgeworth, and Simon."

Miles went to sit in front of him, while Simon found two cups and filled them with coffee. He handed one of the two to his boss, before sitting next to him. The Chief looked at his cup with a little disgust, but he still drank from it nonetheless.

The silence was as awkward as it could get. Both of them seemed happy without talking, but Apollo couldn't take it anymore. Even if he sensed he shouldn't ask, he wanted to know what happened the night before. He had been more than involved, after all! It was his right to know! "Euhm," he began, fidgeting, "what happened last night?"

Apollo noticed they shared a look, as if wondering who would talk, but Simon finally looked to him and answered, "I don't have a high tolerance for alcohol. I... drank too much last night." Apparently, he thought it was enough explanation, for he didn't look like he would add anything. However, Apollo was still puzzled. So he got drunk? But that didn't explain anything at all!

Sensing his incomprehension, Miles explained, "Blackquill had a 'badtrip', as you could put it." Now, Apollo thought he understood better. It has happened to him before – one of the reason he stopped drinking too much. Not everyone were happy drunks as Athena or Juniper.

"I think I understand," Apollo agreed. "When I drink too much, I tend to become really depressed too. That's why I don't drink much anymore."

Simon looked a little ashamed when he explained, "I only drank two beers, though. I never thought it would have that much effect."

"How quickly you become drunk depends on a lot of factors," Miles explained dutifully. "Being sleep-deprived or hungry greatly increase the effect of alcohol." Apollo nodded. He remembered one time where he hadn't eat before drinking. How sick he had felt the day after!

"I ate before coming, though," explained Simon, avoiding altogether the other issue. Apollo guessed it was because he really was sleep-deprived. The dark below his eyes looked better than before, but he still always looked like he could use a good night's sleep.

They stayed silent a moment, as the topic was clearly worn out, and Apollo couldn't help but notice how the two other looked comfortable with one another. It wasn't obvious, but small details grabbed his attention. They were living as roommates, that much he knew, but it was the first time, now that he thought about it, that he saw them together. Miles didn't really come to the courtroom anymore and Apollo had no reason to see him outside of it.

The fact that Simon would want to call Miles, though, raised questions in his head. They were roommates, okay, but Apollo wouldn't call a mere roommate over something like that. In truth, the only one it would make sense to call would be someone as Athena, a really good friend, or... a lover.

Simon did say he was in a relationship, and with a man, to boot. His relationship had to stay secret, too, which would make sense if it was Miles – they were working together, it wouldn't be easy to come out. And Simon didn't have much of a social life, from what Athena often hinted.

Should he ask for confirmation? Obviously, they were both trying really hard to hide this relationship, but he was really curious. And Simon told him part of the truth anyway, that meant he trusted him, didn't he?

Looking somewhere between the two of them, Apollo decided to go for it, "This may be awkward, but... are you two going out?" He was ready to say it was a joke if both denied it strongly. They both startled, but they didn't look like they were offended.

Miles was the first to react. "Did Wright tell you?" This time, both Simon and Apollo startled. Before the attorney could say he never talked about it to his boss, the younger prosecutor asked, "You told Wright-dono?"

It was time for Miles to look a little ashamed, though he maintained a proud facade. "You know I can't keep anything from him. I was sure I told him not to talk, though."

Apollo held his hand high to protest, "No, no, Boss didn't tell me anything! It's just that, looking at you two, it made sense, I guess... and, well, I knew Simon was in a relationship, so..."

Miles turned to his lover to ask, "So you told Mr Justice at the same time as Athena?" This almost looked accusatory, but there was a little gentleness hidden inside his tone. Apollo noticed he was trying not to come off as brusque. If the result wasn't all there, it was still enough for whoever was observant or knew him enough.

Simon nodded, and silence fell on them once more. After a while, the older conceded, "It might be clear enough by now, but, yes, Blackquill and I are in a relationship. I can ask for your secrecy on this matter?"

"Yeah, sure," agreed Apollo. "Are you planning on coming out at some point?"

"We are doing the necessary steps at work," replied Miles. "It's only a matter of time before we can become public." Apollo nodded. He thought it was something like that.

Relieved everything ended well, Apollo stood up to rinse his finished cup. As he did so, he admitted, "I was worried last night, but I guess everything's fine in the end."

"I'm sorry to have caused you grief," apologized Simon. Apollo quickly turned around to face him and told him, "No, no, don't apologize! As long as you're okay, I'm fine!"

"I wanted to thank you," admitted Miles while getting up. He bowed slightly and Apollo got flustered. Having the Chief Prosecutor bow to him was too much for his heart. He tried to deny, but Miles only smirked.

After that, Apollo announced he'd try to wake Athena up and went inside the living room, leaving the couple alone. The lawyer was still sleeping soundly on the couch. Apollo neared her and shook her by the shoulders, telling her to wake up.

After a while and a lot of persuasion, Athena finally woke up. She clearly had a hungover, as she asked for a painkiller almost immediately. Apollo fetched one from the bathroom and grabbed a glass of water as well. Athena thanked him, took the pills and closed her eyes once more.

Apollo, sitting down beside her, feared she was asleep again. Thankfully, she wasn't, as she admitted, opening her eyes once more, "I don't remember everything that happened, but there's something bugging me. Did I sleep with someone?"

"If you mean it in a perfectly platonic way, yes, we both slept on the couch."

Athena looked surprised at first, but then she sighed in relief. However, she quickly smiled a little slyly at him. "I wouldn't have minded sleeping with you in a non-platonic way, though!"

"That was one comment I could have lived without," sweat dropped Apollo. There was a difference between knowing Athena would like to sleep with a lot of people and actually being on the list.

"I meant it," she admitted, looking serious. "I find you very attractive, Polly! But I know you don't want to, and that's fine with me too. I want to be your friend more than anything!"

"Aren't you in love with Ms von Karma?" asked Apollo before he could stop himself.

Athena giggled, almost as if he was being naive, and she told him, "That has nothing to do with it! I mean, we're not involved yet, so until then, I can do what I want!"

Apollo dropped the subject, as it was clearly all above him, "Yeah, whatever."

They stayed silent, until Apollo told her, "By the way, Simon also spent the night. Oh, and Mr Edgeworth is here too."

This managed to make her startled so much her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Y-you mean the Chief Prosecutor?" She squealed out. "What is he doing here?"

"He came for Simon last night," answered Apollo. "Simon had sort of a badtrip because of the alcohol, so he came to, well, comfort him." He wasn't sure he should explain all of this, but, then again, she was the host, she had the right to know.

Athena's expression sank and she admitted, looking a little ashamed, "I should have noticed. Maybe I shouldn't have invited him. I know he's not good with alcohol, or, well, parties." Apollo wondered if he should tell her he wasn't either, but he decided not to. Even if he wasn't all comfortable with parties, he still wanted to come if Athena asked, because it could turn out fun sometimes. Even if the night before it obviously didn't.

Before he could tell her anything, Simon entered the room, followed by Miles. Athena stood up a little too quickly and almost fell back. Apollo stood up to support her. Athena steadied herself, but before she could say anything, Simon told them, "We will take our leave. Thank you again for your invitation, Athena."

The woman nodded, and Miles nodded to both of them, before they retrieved their boots and coats. They were soon outside, leaving the two employees of the Wright Anything Agency alone.

Apollo turned to Athena to tell her, "I don't think he wants you to worry, Athena. You should still invite him the next time."

Athena agreed, before falling on the couch. "For now, I think I'll go back to sleep," she told him, "so, if you want to stay..."

"No, no," he quickly stopped her, "I'll go back home!"

They exchanged last greetings and Apollo was finally outside. He looked at the time and, even if he very much wanted to take a shower and change clothes, he realized he didn't have the time to stop by the Agency. He still had to go back to his old apartment once more to talk to his previous owner.

It went well and was quickly over. Apollo decided to jog the way back to the Agency, stopping by People Park to do some Chords of Steel exercises. When he finally came back to the Agency, it was past eleven, and there was no one home. Phoenix was probably at his 'date' with his ex, meaning he'd be gone for the day, but Trucy would come back at some point – she told him in a text the day before.

He took a shower and dressed up, thinking he might as well spend the day with his sister. Since they stopped investigating together, they didn't spend much time alone together. One would think learning they were siblings would make them closer, but in facts it didn't really help that much. At least they were living together now. That would leave them more occasions to grow closer.

The day went well, if you excluded the part he learnt his boss was bi. It wasn't like he was against bisexuality – he really wasn't in any place to be against it. It was just really surprising. Phoenix, of all people, really looked heterosexual to him. Apollo didn't know much of his love life, now that he thought about it, apart from the lack of recent action. It made him wonder.

It wasn't until later that night, in his bed – he had decided to try to sleep there as Phoenix seemed intent on occupying the living room – that he remembered Trucy mentioned he had had a relationship with a man he knew. He couldn't help but try to figure it out.

A man he knew... it would have to be someone Phoenix knew as well. The first idea that popped in his head were the Gavin brothers, but one had set him up and the other got him disbarred. Phoenix had pretended to be friends with Kristoph, true, but it was all pretending. As for Klavier, he never really was close to Phoenix, not even after it was revealed he didn't know anything about his brother's plans.

This didn't leave lots of possibilities. Phoenix was the type to see his exes even after he broke up. Since it was someone he knew as well, it didn't seem like a stretch to think he would see him even now. With who did he have frequent meetings?

There was one person that clearly came to mind, but it couldn't be, could it? However, when he thought about what happened this morning... about how Miles couldn't keep anything from Phoenix... it really seemed like he was right after all.

Phoenix had had a relationship with Miles at some point.

It shouldn't come as a huge surprise, Apollo mused. After all, they had a lot of history between them. They were childhood friends, they both saved one another more than once. It had always seemed to Apollo that they shared a special bond. He just never thought it went to that extent.

It made him wonder what happened. They clearly were still on good terms, if them meeting at least every two weeks was any indication. It wasn't like Miles tricked Phoenix as Iris did, either, so there wouldn't be such a reason to stop a relationship. Of course, he didn't know even half of what happened between the two of them, but if they were on such friendly terms, he couldn't think they had a bad break up.

It made him wonder if they still had feelings for one another. Wouldn't it be bad for Miles to still love Phoenix even though he was going out with Simon? Apollo knew it wasn't his place to say, but he was perhaps the only one, besides Phoenix and Miles themselves, that knew what was going on. Shouldn't he tell Simon?

Then again, he wasn't sure about anything, and even if Miles did love Phoenix even now, it didn't mean he couldn't love Simon as well. He did seem pretty worked up when he learnt Simon wasn't doing well. And he came in the middle of the night, without even hesitating.

He decided he wouldn't tell. It wasn't his place to say, not when he didn't have any proof. He just really hoped Miles was being honest with Simon. Fortunately, he was pretty sure he could trust him. He would trust Simon's judgement as well.

With all of this, he almost forgot he had a trial the next day. At least, they were prepared. It would be fine, he told himself. Athena knew what she was doing. Hopefully.

* * *

><p><em>This was so much longer than I intended it to! Oh well, now Apollo knows about the EdgeQuill! I was so happy to write them together. Even though they don't do much, they have that sort of domestic feel I find really cute! By the way, I published sort of a spin-off explaining how they got together. If you're interested, it's called A cure to insomnia.<em>

_Contrary to Apollo, I really like bitter beers better (I especially love Guiness). I'm not all for blondes, though I do enjoy some. I just really like alcohol in general. Oh, and I tend to become affectionate when I'm drunk. I'm usually a happy drunk, but sometimes I can get really sad or lethargic, too. Yeah, this was so unnecessary._

_By the way, I kinda like Justicykes, though I really like them better as friends. I love how they're comfortable with each other in this fic. As for Junipollo, I don't hate it per see, but there's really much more interesting ships with Apollo in my opinion. I just feel a little bad about how she's so desperate here and how Apollo just brushes her off without even noticing her efforts. Maybe I should pair her with either Hugh or Robin? (this one will stay in my head I think) _

_Until next time!_


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